Snap to attention on water disaster, madam mayor

Check your emails, madam mayor! Or at very least get one of the 64 people working in your office to do it on a regular basis. The excuse offered by your spokesperson, Tango Lamani, that you never received any correspondence from deputy finance minister David Masondo is a cop-out. Masondo sent your office two letters — on April 14 and again on May 6 — with the first indicating his intention to withdraw drought support as dams are near rock bottom and taps are expected to run dry soon.

This will upend the city, leaving businesses and residents high and dry at a time when most are still recovering from hits of Covid-19 on the economy.

This support included an international advisory and water demand experts, along with ideas on how to go about pushing day zero back further.

The first letter should have raised red flags in your office, with officials quickly putting together a response to avert such a catastrophic turn of events.

Instead, Masondo had to write back three weeks later after being given the cold shoulder that he had no choice but to withdraw the National Treasury’s support through the Cities Support Implementation Programme.

“I am not able to justify keeping this support in the city if its value is not fully optimised. It is a sizeable investment to offer the level of support you have at your disposal,” he warned.

Drought intervention by the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality has been lacklustre at best, with Masondo revealing that any interest in help from the National Treasury dwindled in December.

Officials skipped crucial drought meetings, others gave outdated information while some on the mayoral committee failed to take up an offer to strengthen their “leadership capacity”.

Water scarcity is now a reality in the Bay and the only solution is to cut consumption.

This must be done drastically and immediately, but Masondo revealed that you, madam mayor, had yet to meet this water demand expert seconded to the city. Were you not aware of her assistance either, like the emails?

We do hope you respond to Masondo within the next few days, as stated by Lamani.

It is the least you can do during this trying time.