The portfolio committee on water and sanitation held an emergency meeting with Rand Water on Friday, to determine what can be done about the on-going water crisis.<\/p>\n
The committee welcomed the announcement by the Minister of Water and Sanitation and Rand Water, on Saturday, that a joint operations committee would be formed to ensure a coordinated effort to deal with the water shortages in Gauteng, as well as a precautionary measure for any future problems.<\/p>
The committee\u2019s visit to Rand Water is reported to have been a great success, with the initiatives implemented bearing fruit.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have satisfied ourselves, as a committee, that Rand Water has implemented effective strategies to deal with the challenge faced by residents within the past week; there is no water crisis in Gauteng and people must know that they will, from now, on get water,\u201d said Mlungisi Johnson, chairperson of the committee.<\/p>
During the meeting, the committee was also given the assurance that levels in reservoirs are stabilising and that those residents in high lying areas will also receive water soon.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe committee is pleased by this information and trusts that Rand Water will deliver as promised,\u201d said Johnson.<\/p>\n
The meeting also gave the committee a chance to emphasise the need for a collaborative effort towards dealing with vandalism and theft of copper, valves and cables, that are an integral part in the distribution of water.<\/p>\n
\u201cClearly, we are dealing with organised scrap metal syndicates who place their narrow economic interests above those of this beautiful country,”Johnson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese unscrupulous elements are preying on the poverty of our people and are targeting strategic infrastructure that delivers efficient services to our people.<\/p>\n
”These are people who care less about the country or its citizens, but rather remain interested in serving their narrow, selfish economic interests.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next step for the committee will be to engage all law enforcement agencies in finding lasting solutions in dealing with this problem.<\/p>\n
As a first step towards this collaborative effort, the committee urged anyone with information on vandalism and theft of any water supply infrastructure to come forward.<\/p>\n