Hammanskraal Residents Fed Up Over Broken Water Purification Plant
- Hammanskraal residents have given the government another deadline to fix their water treatment plant
- According to the residents, by 29 May, which is when South Africa's general elections will happen, the treatment plant should be working
- Speaking to Briefly News, Rosinah Medupe, a resident in Themba, said: "Either they fix it by the time we have elections, or we're boycotting the elections"
Source: Original
The March deadline for the government to tackle the protracted water crisis in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria, is long overdue.
Last year, the Department of Water and Sanitation and the City of Tshwane announced initiatives to address water pollution stemming from the Rooiwal wastewater treatment works in Hammanskraal.
However, despite promises of swift action, residents say they still need to be done as they continue to live without quality water.
Residents are calling for action before elections
Tiisetso Matjila, a resident, described the dire situation where residents resort to purchasing water from vendors due to the prolonged absence of clean water.
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The lack of government intervention exacerbates the plight of residents, forcing some to fetch water from streams, further jeopardizing their health.
With the March deadline long gone, residents say they are anxiously awaiting the government's decisive action to fulfil its commitments and address the Hammanskraal water crisis before the elections.
Their plea for clean and safe water underscores the urgent need for effective intervention to safeguard this fundamental human right.
Deadline moved again
Since the South African Human Rights Commission deemed the tap water in Hammanskraal unsuitable for human consumption, residents of this Tshwane township have been forced to purchase water or depend on 54 tankers for drinking water, incurring a monthly expense of R6 million for the City of Tshwane.
Following a cholera outbreak last year, the Department of Water and Sanitation and the City of Tshwane announced plans to upgrade the Rooiwaal water treatment plant in June.
However, progress on this initiative could have been improved. Additionally, efforts were made to establish the Magalies packaged wastewater treatment plant under the Magalies Water Board to address the crisis.
Minister Senzo Mchunu said the plant would be completed by March this year.
However, this deadline has been pushed back to September due to delays in securing a suitable contractor.
Local city municipality says it's out of their hands
City officials have been claiming progress has been made, citing ongoing discussions with Magalies Water to enhance water and sanitation services in Hammanskraal.
Speaking anonymously, a local City of Tshwane office manager disclosed efforts to install a reverse pipe to redirect water from the Magalies plant, bypassing the polluted sources.
Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink in a post on X noted the progress as well.
Rosinah Medupe, another resident, lamented the stagnant situation, highlighting persistent water quality issues even after the promised interventions.
"We've seen water running from their offices down to the streets regularly. It didn't happen for the first time when you saw it; it's something we're used to and that happens on a regular basis.
"I think as residents, it's high time we hit them where it hurts. They want us to vote on the 29th. We either do not vote for the ANC or boycott the voting stations and demand that they come and help us and fix our pipes. That's it."
Businessman Edwin Sodi linked to Rooiwal water treatment plant failure
In a similar report, Briefly News reported that the controversial tenderpreneur Edwin Sodi had been linked to the deadly cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal.
Sodi's companies were awarded tenders to refurbish the Rooiwal Water Treatment Plant but never completed the project.
Several of Sodi's companies were awarded R295 million tenders to upgrade the Rooiwal Water Treatment Plant.
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Source: Briefly News
