Polokwane Mayor Returns From Holiday Following Mounting Pressure as Deaths Pile Up Amid Water Crisis
Press Statement by Malebo Kobe MP
ActionSA Member of Parliament
Following widespread community outcry, ActionSA conducted an urgent oversight visit to the Polokwane Municipality yesterday amid a worsening water contamination crisis, only to encounter a complete absence of leadership.Both the mayor and the municipal manager were reportedly on leave, leaving residents to endure a deepening emergency without guidance or support.
Following ActionSA’s visit yesterday, it is only today that the mayor is set to take some initiative by visiting the Seshego Water Treatment Plant. This comes despite the fact that the mayor had previously dismissed these concerns, claiming that water quality and access were unrelated to the unfolding tragic loss of lives.
At the peak of the crisis, the Mayor and Municipal Manager effectively abandoned the municipality, leaving residents without answers or leadership, only to show up once spurred on by increasing pressure from ActionSA on behalf of residents.
This level of dereliction is unacceptable, particularly in the wake of the tragic deaths of four children, as families continue to bury their loved ones while basic services fail.
ActionSA will be escalating this matter to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the Public Protector, as the fundamental rights to water, dignity, and life cannot be violated because of gross negligence and poor governance.
Polokwane Mayor Returns From Holiday Following Mounting Pressure as Deaths Pile Up Amid Water Crisis
Following widespread community outcry, ActionSA conducted an urgent oversight visit to the Polokwane Municipality yesterday amid a worsening water contamination crisis, only to encounter a complete absence of leadership. Both the mayor and the municipal manager were reportedly on leave, leaving residents to endure a deepening emergency without guidance or support.
Following ActionSA’s visit yesterday, it is only today that the mayor is set to take some initiative by visiting the Seshego Water Treatment Plant. This comes despite the fact that the mayor had previously dismissed these concerns, claiming that water quality and access were unrelated to the unfolding tragic loss of lives.
At the peak of the crisis, the Mayor and Municipal Manager effectively abandoned the municipality, leaving residents without answers or leadership, only to show up once spurred on by increasing pressure from ActionSA on behalf of residents.
This level of dereliction is unacceptable, particularly in the wake of the tragic deaths of four children, as families continue to bury their loved ones while basic services fail.
ActionSA will be escalating this matter to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the Public Protector, as the fundamental rights to water, dignity, and life cannot be violated because of gross negligence and poor governance.