Durban — The DA in KwaZulu-Natal has written to the KZN legislature speaker for an urgent debate following the release of the South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) KZN water inquiry findings.
The DA wrote to KZN legislature speaker Nontembeko Boyce, calling for a debate this week on the findings of a 155-page report by the SAHRC inquiry into water delivery in the province.
The call also comes after the official response by government business leader Siboniso Duma, who stated that, among others things, the legacy of apartheid planning has contributed to the problem.
In a media statement on Wednesday, Duma said that on Tuesday, he appeared on Newzroom Africa as part of responding to the report released by the SAHRC on the water crisis in various municipalities across the province.
Duma said: “As pointed out by the SAHRC in its report, spatial legacies of apartheid across all municipalities are also the main causes of infrastructure deficits.
“This is compounded by increasing population and reduction of budget allocation for spending in social infrastructure. KwaZulu-Natal currently has a population of more than 11.2 million.”
DA KZN leader Francois Rodgers said: “The reality is that Duma and his Taliban faction ANC government have been exposed. They do not have a plan and continually blame the past and a lack of finance has become nothing more than tired ANC rhetoric.
“The SAHRC report is proof of the ANC’s ongoing failures when it comes to water provision to the people of our province.”
Rodgers said the DA has continuously raised water challenges across KZN. Yet to date, the ANC’s response had been dismissive at best. “Vague promises of correction simply evaporate. From national ministers of Water and Sanitation to provincial MECs, nothing changes – if anything, the situation worsens.”
He said that the people of KZN have had enough of an ANC government that is out of touch with reality. They are tired of water tankers which have become yet another mode of corruption in our province.
“It is imperative that the speaker allow a debate on this matter. This ANC-run government must account to the people of KZN for its dismal performance when it comes to water delivery in our province,” Rodgers said.
“The DA will continue to hold the ANC to account over its disregard of human rights in KZN.”
The letter was written by DA KZN chief whip and education spokesperson Dr Imran Keeka, titled “Call for a debate on a matter of Urgent Public Importance [SR111] pertaining to the attached SAHRC report”.
In the letter dated September 22, Keeka stated that he was writing on the instruction of Rodgers. Keeka also attached the SAHRC’s report.
“It is our contention that this report requires urgent debate in the house given the gravity of the content and impact on millions of lives – even beyond the content of the report,” the letter read.
“While this may, at the discretion of the speaker and based on the standing rules, be allowed as an addition at the sitting of Thursday, September 28, the speaker is requested, prior to this date, to schedule this debate even as an urgent virtual sitting given the nature of the significant public importance.”
Keeka’s letter said that should the call for the urgent virtual sitting not be acceded to, at the very least, they urged the speaker to consider the addition as suggested above.
“I write to call upon the speaker to grant this matter the imminent attention it requires. I remain in anticipation of the speaker’s response,” the letter concluded.
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