The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Tuesday urged the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and President Cyril Ramaphosa to extend the Rooivaal wastewater treatment plant investigation to include the payment of water tanker invoices in City of Tshwane (CoT).

The SIU is investigating allegations of corruption, maladministration and tender irregularities regarding a failed R295-million upgrade contract. 

Speaking in Pretoria at the unveiling of a billboard, DA CoT mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink claimed invoices, essentially paid by taxpayers, did not correlate with the number of tankers on the streets.

He claimed that spending on water tankers to areas that should have water had increased from less than R2-million to more than a R1-billion.

Last year, the party launched an investigation into R777-million used for water tankers, saying water tanker operators seem to be the biggest beneficiaries of the African National Congress (ANC) coalition.

DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga said as water leaks, water tankers, and empty water towers dot municipalities across the province, it is “inexcusable” for Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi to make “flippant remarks” that are detached from the lived reality of the millions of residents.

Last month, Lesufi sparked public outrage after saying he often had to shower at a hotel because of water outages in the province.

“This billboard is essential to tell Panyaza Lesufi that it is unacceptable to show such contempt for the people of Gauteng. No resident can afford to hire hotel rooms to get a shower because your failing government denies them water at home,” said Msimanga.

He said no municipality in Gauteng would be able to turn around issues of water, electricity and roads on its own, announcing that the DA has offered to give Lesufi its Master Plan to implement. However, the DA said the ANC refused the plan.

Msimanga claimed that ANC-run municipalities “move from crisis to crisis, and leak to leak”.

ANC OUT OF TOUCH WITH VOTERS

Meanwhile, ahead of the local government elections, DA City of Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille expressed confidence that the ANC would lose its majority in every single municipality in Gauteng.

“Whether we can get a majority 50% plus 1 is a big challenge and a big question, but what we know for sure is that the ANC is going to lose their majority,” she stated.

Zille said service delivery is one of the main issues that will affect the ANC’s performance, also claiming the party’s leadership had lost touch with voters.

“We know of all the corruption that is going on but there is another reason that many people do not analyse properly: the ANC leadership has completely lost touch with the people,” she said.