CHAOS broke out in the National Assembly during Tuesday's water supply debate when uMkhonto weSizwe Member of Parliament (MP) Visvin Reddy was ejected from the house.
This was prompted by Reddy, from Durban, vocally protesting against Minister of Water and Sanitation Pemmy Majodina, and chanting “Pemmy Must Go” during the debate on the erratic water supply plaguing several communities in the Ekurhuleni municipality.
The NA was debating a report of the Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation, specifically a petition from residents of Ward 20, 29, 36 and Ward 92, in Germiston, Ekurhuleni, who called on Parliament to investigate their water woes in the respective areas
Before Reddy could provide input, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation, MP Leonard Basson briefed the NA on the investigations of the region's failure of water infrastructure.
Basson said communities in Germiston faced worsening water shortages.
“This failure to keep water reservoirs adequately full has severely impacted on residents and businesses,” he said.
The community engaged with the Department of Water and Sanitation and Rand Water and the city of Ekurhuleni to assess the root causes of these disruptions.
“Our investigations reveal several critical issues. A rapid increase in demand for water due to population growth, a high level of non revenue water losses from leaks and illegal connections, infrastructure failure, worsened by loadshedding and cable theft. As a lack of sufficient investment in municipal water storage and distribution in infrastructure,” Basson said.
“While we acknowledge the temporary relief measures implemented by the municipality such as the deployment of water tankers and valve throttles. These are stop gap solutions and do not provide long term stability To ensure a sustainable water supply several long term investigations are in progress," Basson said.
The live crossing was cut off for a moment and when it returned, Reddy was on the podium. He said the minutes of the meeting will prove what he was saying.
Referring to Majodina, Reddy said she is unfit for office, she is in denial, was out of touch and has failed the nation.
“All these Government of National Unity parties here, they must hang their heads in shame. They have prioritised positions over our people. They have prioritised power over service and they have more excuses than action. This is a damn disgrace,” Reddy said.
Reddy said that the MKP rejected recommendations made by the portfolio committee.
“We refuse to support another empty report filled with delays. We demand real action. These recommendations that we are discussing today does not put water in the taps of the people of Germiston or the residents of eThekwini who have been without water for months on end. I do not think this minister knows about that. We work in the communities as MKP. We work with people on the ground and we know their plight and suffering without water," he said.
Reddy said that if President Cyril Ramaphosa cared about South Africa, 'he will remove this minister'.
"To those in the country who are crying out for water, we say to you that Pemmy must go, Pemmy must go. Pemmy must go. And to the people of this country who think that the country is falling apart, our message to you is to chant this message that GNU must go. GNU must go...Amandla," Reddy chanted in the NA.
The Deputy Speaker of the NA, Annelie Lotriet, told Reddy that his conduct was out of order and not in line with the rules. She requested the Serjeant-at-Arms to remove him.
The MKP members claimed that they could not hear Lotriet from where they were seated. There were also chants of 'Pemmy must go' and then 'Reddy must go' by some MPs.
Videos showed Reddy still seated when someone walked to him and spoke with him.
Lotriet said if Reddy still refused to leave, and if he refused to comply, his conduct was impeding the ability of the house to continue with its business. She again called for the Serjeant-at-Arms to remove Reddy.
Reddy then gathered his items and walked towards the exit.
Lotriet said this matter will be referred to the powers and privileges committee.
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