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The town of Komani is facing a “man-made” Day Zero crisis due to the inability of the inept Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM) to timeously repair a massive leak in the main water pipeline from the Waterdown Dam.

Komani is situated in the Enoch Mgijima Municipality, but the CHDM is responsible for the provision of water and sanitation services to this local municipality.

Certain communities in Komani have been without water since the leak occurred four days ago.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling on the CHDM to urgently provide a comprehensive report on the state of the water infrastructure in the Enoch Mgijima Municipality. We also call on the Enoch Mgijima mayor to urgently compile a report on both the state of the water infrastructure and the operational status of the Waterdown, Bongola and Xonca dams, for presentation to the municipal council.

The district municipality has failed to communicate effectively with the public regarding the state of water infrastructure leading to certain areas in Komani.

Areas such as Mlungisi and Ezibeleni experience daily water interruptions, while Hofmeyr is fortunate to receive water for just one hour a day. Nomzamo has been without water for months. Communities are forced to spend additional money on bottled water for drinking, cooking, and washing. Businesses are also bearing the brunt, as they are forced to limit operations to conserve water.

The Xonca Dam upgrading project, which began in 2014, was initially slated for completion in November 2018. Six years later, the R546 million project remains unfinished. The upgrade was intended to help Komani maintain a reliable water supply after the Bongola Dam's capacity was reduced due to the drought.

Urgent intervention is needed from Eastern Cape CoGTA MEC, Zolile Williams, to ensure that the Xonca Dam is utilised as a water source for Komani, and to pressure the Chris Hani District Municipality to present a state of water infrastructure report, along with findings and recommendations.

The water shortage in the Enoch Mgijima Municipality has escalated into a humanitarian crisis. A public-private partnership is urgently needed to implement alternative, innovative technologies to ensure a steady water supply.

The lives and livelihoods of our people should not be jeopardised by the neglect and poor planning of municipalities.

The DA will hold higher authorities accountable for this crisis and work together to restore the water supply to the Enoch Mgijima Municipality.

Issued by Cllr Tokkie Deysel - DA Enoch Mgijima Caucus Leader