The DA wants to lodge a complaint against the ANC with the Human Rights Commission (HRC) for the violation of human rights in connection with the worsening water crisis.
The DA leader John Steenhuisen said on Human Rights Day on Thursday, at the launch of the DA’s provincial election manifesto in Mpumalanga, that the rights set out in the Bill of Rights only exist on paper.
“To expect South Africans to celebrate the day while the ANC has deprived them of their most fundamental human right – access to water – is an insult to the people of the country,” says Steenhuisen.
According to the DA leader, the Johannesburg metro’s “puppet mayor”, Thapelo Amad, said on Tuesday that there is no water crisis.
“Even though the people of Johannesburg have been living without running water for weeks on end, the ANC and its partners have not bothered to even acknowledge the extent of the crisis. They simply deny that it exists,” says Steenhuisen.
Some provinces have been struggling with a water crisis for almost three decades and according to Steenhuisen, only one province is not facing an imminent water disaster.
“The only reason why the Western Cape is not plunged into a water crisis like the rest of South Africa is because the Western Cape is managed by the DA”, says Steenhuisen.
He says that with the water crisis the ANC is violating art. 27 of the Constitution which deals with the right to health care, food and water.
In Johannesburg, people are without access to water for days on end and RNews reported earlier that the Pretoria city council is calling an urgent meeting with Rand Water, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni regarding severe pressure on the Rand Water supply system.
It was warned some time ago that this system is “on the verge of collapse”.
Themba Fosi, mayoral committee member for utilities and regional operations, said earlier that Rand Water’s overall water storage had dropped to less than 30%. “Immediate intervention is needed to alleviate the crisis.”
The DA’s intended complaint to the HRC relates to the lack of adequate water supply by several local governments in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, including the metro areas of Johannesburg and eThekwini.
