Archive photo (Photo: mike / Pixabay)
The DA will request the speaker of the National Assembly to hold a debate of national importance on pres. Cyril Ramaphosa’s failure to announce the national water crisis action plan.
Stephen Moore, the DA’s spokesperson on water and sanitation, says Ramaphosa failed to meet the deadline to make the plan public.
According to Moore, he submitted an application to the presidency in terms of the Act on the Promotion of Access to Information (Paia) on 25 March this year after Ramaphosa repeatedly undertook that the action plan would be made public.
The presidency then requested a postponement until May 4, but this deadline has also expired in the meantime.
Maroela Media earlier reported that in April Ramaphosa convened ministers, prime ministers, mayors and municipal managers for a meeting on solutions to the country’s water crisis. He said at the time that the government’s national water crisis committee, which was established after his State of the Union address, would be expanded and that an action plan was being developed by various working groups.
Ramaphosa then also said that access to water is a priority and that the government wants to deal with the crisis from a “diagnostic” and solution-oriented point of view. Among other things, he referred to aging infrastructure, water losses, poor monitoring, poor maintenance and institutional instability as causes of the crisis.
Maroela Media also reported earlier that the latest blue, green and green drop reports, analyzed by AfriForum, indicate that South Africa’s water infrastructure is still under pressure. Among other things, the reports pointed to increasing problems with sewage systems, persistent water losses and poor municipal performance.
Moore says South Africans are still suffering from the water crisis and that the president must be held accountable for his promises.
“The president cannot make false promises to South Africans over months without being held accountable. It is essential that parliament seeks the truth, as South Africans’ right to water is threatened,” says Moore.
According to Moore, it is the parliament’s duty to protect South Africans who have been let down by the government’s handling of the water crisis.
“We need to debate the lack of answers to the water crisis and offer credible, new solutions to end dry taps.”
Moore says Ramaphosa also undertook on March 12 that the action plan would be completed by the end of March. He referred this company to the parliament’s committee on executive companies and petitions on 1 April and says he has now also followed up with the committee chairman on progress with accountability.
“The DA rejects the continued humiliation of dry taps. Promises made must be kept, and the DA will fight for answers.”