The DA in the Western Cape has called out Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane for her “reckless” comments in Parliament that “Day Zero will not happen”.
Bonginkosi Madikizela from the DA said in a statement on Friday, “We will hold the Minister to account in this regard, as it appears that her department, as per its mandate, has a plan to guarantee that we #DefeatDayZero. Minister Mokonyane’s comments threaten to confuse the public, and derail the #DefeatDayZero campaign bringing Day Zero ever closer to reality.”
Madikizela also questioned the Mokonyane’s consultant’s claims that “Day Zero could be pushed back this year as the Department has interventions in place, which include six projects around bulk infrastructure in the Western Cape”.
“I would like to know what these projects are, as the DA-led provincial government has no knowledge of them, and why, if they are indeed underway, these projects were not undertaken years ago when the Western Cape Province requested them as part of our development planning strategy?” Madikizela said.
“Our call to all residents is to continue to reduce their water consumption to less than 50 litres per person per day, in order for us to #DefeatDayZero.”
“These reckless comments, which are similar to those made in February 2017, by the Western Cape Department of Water and Sanitation’s regional head, Rashid Khan, that there is no water crisis in the City of Cape Town, are further proof of the National Department’s failure to timeously address a severe lack in water provision infrastructure in the Western Cape.”
He said this is yet another form of negligence on the part of the national department. “We can already see how this gravely exacerbates the current drought crisis,” Madikizela said. “Minister Mokonyane is, in essence, spreading misinformation which threatens the people of the Western Cape.”