DailySun
Johannesburg – The Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling on Rand Water to urgently reconsider its impractical water shutdown scheduled for mid-December, which would deprive millions of Johannesburg residents of their Christmas celebrations.
Rand Water has announced maintenance work at Eikenhof Pump Station from 13 to 16 December, resulting in an 86-hour interruption of water services.
In reaction to this announcement, Nicole van Dyk, the DA’s Johannesburg Shadow MMC for Infrastructure, stated: “Rand Water risks becoming the Grinch who steals Christmas unless it delays this poorly timed water shutdown.”
Van Dyk further commented: “The scheduling of Rand Water’s December maintenance in Johannesburg demonstrates a serious lack of foresight and utter mismanagement.
“The maintenance is projected to last 86 hours, from 13 December to 16 December; however, historical data shows that maintenance schedules often do not proceed as intended, leading to extended delays in restoring water supply.”
Van Dyk emphasized that the forthcoming maintenance of both the Eikenhof and Zwartkopjes pump stations will disrupt the water supply for hundreds of thousands of households.
“In previous instances, this system, even with additional water supplied by Rand Water for stabilization, has taken as long as two weeks to recover after maintenance,” van Dyk noted.
“Two weeks to recover during the hottest month of the year, while families are trying to enjoy time together, is simply intolerable – especially when taps are running dry.
“The DA urges Rand Water to reconsider this disastrous decision; failures in maintaining pump stations throughout the year should not rob Joburg residents of their Christmas festivities.
“This situation seems more like an ‘emergency repair’ than a properly organized maintenance effort. If it truly is an ‘emergency,’ Rand Water deserves strong criticism.
“We intend to contact both Rand Water and Johannesburg Water to ask for a rescheduling of this maintenance to stop Rand Water from stealing Christmas, much like the failing Grinch it has become.”
