ANC in Ekurhuleni approaches SAHRC over ‘unjust’ water disconnections
The ANC in Ekurhuleni has laid a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission against what it believes to be an unjust water disconnection policy by the municipality.
According to the ANC, the municipality’s policy allows the city to completely cut off water supply to indebted households.
The party’s chief whip in council Jongizizwe Dlabathi says they want the commission to investigate and determine if the policy is constitutional.
“The ANC caucus, which is a group of councillors, embarked on an extensive community consultation just to solicit their views about the proposals on the budget, including the policies.
“Thus we are here at the South African Human Rights Commission to appeal to them to make a determination on whether or not this policy provision of disconnecting water by the City of Ekurhuleni is actually not in contravention of the supreme law of the country, which is the constitution and its provision as contained in the human rights charter.”
Dlabathi also claimed the city has disconnected water at a child-headed household.
“We strongly feel that, as the caucus of the ANC out of that input, it was a legitimate concern that we can’t have such a policy that disconnects water completely because water is life. You can imagine a person living without water. We do not have a problem with the blocking of electricity for we continue to live without electricity, but not water.”
The commission’s provincial manager Zamantungwa Mbeki promised to investigate the matter.
“Based on the submission that was made today the complaint that was submitted today we can note that we are going to register it for an investigation by the Gauteng provincial office of the SAHRC.
“In terms of the timeframes of when we are going to conclude, we’ve outlined the process to the chief whip and we’ve been given contacts of all the relevant people we need to discuss.”
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