The Kimberley Prospector

KIMBERLEY – In a damning revelation of the ongoing water crisis in the Sol Plaatje municipality, the Congress of the People (COPE) has called upon the national government to step in and take over the crucial functions of water and sanitation services. The persistent and worsening situation has left residents without reliable and safe access to water and sanitation for the past 13 years, with no tangible solutions in sight.

The lack of accountability for this massive failure has further eroded the integrity of governance and management systems at all levels of the Sol Plaatje municipality. COPE emphasizes the growing divide between leaders and residents, citing a severe lack of trust and confidence. Despite numerous complaints, letters, and criminal allegations filed with various institutions, the desired results have remained elusive.

Today, COPE announces a public campaign to raise awareness and mobilize the community for decisive action to restore accountability and responsiveness at the Sol Plaatje municipality. The campaign will unfold in three key phases:

1. Immediate Government Intervention: COPE urges the national government to invoke Section 100 of the constitution and take over the functions of water and sanitation services. The provincial government and local leadership, including the Premier and MEC for local government, have failed to address the crisis effectively.
   
2. Awareness and Petition Drive: The first phase involves distributing over 25,000 pamphlets to encourage residents to sign an online petition expressing their dissatisfaction with the ongoing service delivery failures.
   
3. Engagement with Ministers and Legal Action: The second phase includes interactions with the Minister of Water and Sanitation and the Minister of Gogta to press for urgent intervention. COPE warns that failure to address the crisis will force them to approach the High Court of South Africa to compel the government to fulfil its constitutional obligations.

In a stern message, COPE emphasizes that the campaign’s third phase will involve reaching out to all stakeholders, irrespective of race, class, or gender, to form a united front. Churches, business formations, trade unions, civil society, and political parties are called upon to join hands in reclaiming the municipality for the people. COPE stresses that this is a matter of lives and livelihoods and should not be politicized.

Jimmy Besent, Coordinator of COPE Sol Plaatje Municipal Constituency, concludes by urging residents to take back their power and ensure positive change. He emphasizes that those in power must remember their accountability to residents and that it is time for responsible mass action to ensure a responsive and accountable local government that serves all its people.