AfriForum has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to collect water from its emergency water point in Bethal, saying the experience would expose him to the reality faced by many residents of the Govan Mbeki Local Municipality.
According to the organisation, approximately 310 000 residents of Bethal, Secunda, Trichardt, Evander, Leandra and surrounding areas have been affected by an unreliable water supply since 17 July. The disruption followed planned maintenance by Rand Water, which was initially scheduled to conclude on 19 July.
Since then, AfriForum, in collaboration with farmers from the Bethal area, has helped provide residents with access to water. Approximately 320 000 litres have been delivered free of charge to the organisation’s emergency water point and other locations, including schools and residential facilities.
Although the water supply has been restored in some areas, residents in Secunda, the municipality’s administrative seat, reportedly remain without water. Certain schools in the town have consequently been forced to suspend classes.
Image: President Cyril Ramaphosa | GovernmentZA
President Ramaphosa is set to visit the area to officiate at the commencement of commercial operations at the Ummbila Emoyeni Wind Energy Facility near Bethal. AfriForum said it had ensured that the president would be made aware of the conditions residents have experienced.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa is welcome to come and collect water for himself and his entourage from the AfriForum emergency water point in Bethal. Only then will they realise the total dependency on emergency water sources that the people of the Govan Mbeki Municipality are forced to live with,” AfriForum’s Mpumalanga Highveld district coordinator, Hennie Bekker, said.