The Matjhabeng Local Municipality (MLM), incorporating Welkom and Odendaalsrus, is facing a severe water crisis despite a High Court interdict prohibiting Vaal Central Water (VCW) from implementing water restrictions.
René Steyn, DA councillor, confirms that residents face water outages starting from as early as 08:30 in the morning.
“This is on top of scheduled water shedding that takes place from 17:00 to 05:00. This leaves many with access to water for only three to four hours per day, often with pressure so low that essential activities like filling geysers or doing laundry are not possible,” says Steyn.
She says that efforts by local DA ward councillors to pressure the municipality and VCW for answers have been met with vague and infrequent responses, offering no clear explanation of the cause, extent, or expected duration of the water restrictions.
“This lack of transparency and accountability has left residents frustrated and in the dark.”
The DA has reached out to the MEC for Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, who promised to intervene, but no meaningful action has been taken. Additionally, the pre-arbitration process between the MLM and VCW, which began on 21 October, has not resulted in any progress or provided residents with the answers.
Community frustration is intensifying as many residents consider withholding service payments, citing the municipality’s failure to ensure water access – a fundamental human right.
“This discontent is fuelled by a dismissive response from both the municipality and the water board. Ratepayers are burdened by inflated estimated accounts and rising rates, yet receive minimal services.”
Urgent, coordinated action from the water board, the municipality, and the provincial government is essential to restore consistent water supply and address residents’ pressing concerns.
The VCW maintains that it is supplying adequate water to Matjhabeng, insisting that any service disruptions are not due to a shortfall on its end.
Despite this, the municipality has been conducting investigations into its infrastructure, including thorough inspections of water valves, yet has not identified any issues that could explain the drop in water pressure.
This discrepancy between the VCW’s assurances and the municipality’s findings leaves residents in a state of limbo, as neither entity can provide a clear solution to the ongoing water shortage.
“Given the gravity of the situation and the ongoing suffering of the community, the DA will lodge a formal complaint against the MLM and VCW with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).
“This complaint highlights the violation of residents’ constitutional right to access sufficient water, as well as the non-compliance with the High Court order and the failure of the responsible parties to ensure consistent and fair service delivery.
“The DA believes that the SAHRC’s intervention is crucial in holding the municipality and VCW accountable and ensuring that residents’ rights are protected,” says Steyn.
