Rand Water once again leaves Gauteng residents in the lurch

Just one day after the vandalized Palmietfontein pump station was repaired, another burst pipeline has residents in parts of Ekurhuleni, Primrose and Tshwane left without water.

This is a double blow to many residents suffering from two pipeline bursts in five days because of Rand Water’s lack of maintenance and suffering as a consequence of Eskom’s infrastructure failure and the effect of load-shedding on the provision of water and sewer lines.

For a long time now, we have been aware that maintenance, just like infrastructure protection, has become a significant problem at Rand Water. As a result, our residents are feeling the brunt of these systematic failures.

Damaging water infrastructure is robbing our people of life and livelihoods and is tantamount to treason. This should be treated with the contempt it deserves.

It is high time that the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) step up to the plate and set up an inter-governmental task team to deal with the vandalism and protect our key infrastructure.