AfriForum in court bid to stop Rand Water cutting supply to towns

AfriForum said on Wednesday it had brought an urgent application against Rand Water after the utility's decision last week to reduce water supply to several municipalities which collectively owe it R3bn.

The affected municipalities are Emfuleni local municipality, Lesedi local municipality, Rand West local municipality and Merafong City local municipality in Gauteng, Ngwathe local municipality in the Free State; and Govan Mbeki local municipality in Mpumalanga. 

In its application, AfriForum said it asked the court to order Rand Water to restore full water supply to the affected municipalities.

Last week, AfriForum’s legal team sent an urgent letter to the water utility demanding full restoration of water supply. 

AfriForum said access to clean water was a basic human right. 

It said Rand Water’s decision to reduce water supply — even though it might be driven by operational or financial constraints — had far-reaching implications for the affected communities. 

“While we recognise the challenges that water suppliers face, we believe that such decisions must be made with careful consideration for the wellbeing of the communities they serve.

“We believe that co-operation between water suppliers, government authorities and civil society organisations is essential to find sustainable solutions to challenges with water supply,” said Petrus Coetzee, AfriForum’s adviser for local government affairs. 

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