DA expresses outrage over alleged R4 billion reallocation amid Johannesburg water crisis

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg has expressed outrage at the revelation of the alleged reallocation of R4 billion from Johannesburg Water.

The party expressed that this is particularly concerning because if it is true, then it happened at a very bad time, in the middle of a water crisis affecting many communities across the City.

The DA through its spokesperson Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku has labelled this as a disgrace saying it borders on total recklessness by a Mayor who doesn’t seem to care. "While residents across the City are forced to queue at water tankers, the Mayor diverts money that should have been used to fix the root causes of Johannesburg’s collapsing water system and decaying infrastructure under his nose."

Following the wake of poor service delivery protests, particularly water scarcity across the city, the party has expressed solidarity and compassion for the residents of the city.

"The DA stands firmly with Johannesburg’s residents. We will fight to ensure that every rand allocated to Johannesburg Water is used to fix the City’s decaying water infrastructure - not siphoned away for vague “general obligations” or used for nefarious reasons while taps run dry."

The metro has dismissed the allegations saying the DA was peddling of wrong information and misleading to the residents.

City of Johannesburg spokesperson, Nthatisi Modingoane said: "We appreciate the engagement and feedback from our residents. The City is fully committed to ensuring that investments lead to tangible improvements in water services. We will consistently monitor progress, provide updates, and work in collaboration with communities to meet their needs."

Modingoane refuted claims of mismanagement and assured residents that their cries were not falling on deaf ears.

"The R4 billion is an investment target necessary for comprehensive implementation of the Water Management Strategy in future financial years. It is not a sum that has been diverted or is missing; it is simply an estimate of what is needed over time.

The funding required to resolve critical issues within Johannesburg Water varies by project and repair needs. Our ongoing assessments are focused on identifying and prioritising urgent upgrades to effectively reduce existing backlogs and enhance system reliability."

Meanwhile, Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero is expected to make a return visit to Westburry and Coronationville to verify stable water supply in the area. This follows the commitment he made a week ago when the communities were protesting.

IOL previously reported on the water challenges confronting the city, where various opinions from experts and commentators indicated that there are elements of mismanagement which have contributed to the crumbling water infrastructure.

The Star