Ben Izak, Bloemfontein:
The Free State government’s silence regarding residents’ lack of water supply is deafening. This while dams in the province are filled to capacity.
Not even the tragic death of Andries Tatane from Ficksburg during a protest over water supply in 2011 – or the drowning of Musa Mbele, a minor girl from Qwaqwa, in 2020 – have inspired officials to address the issue.
The poor continue to suffer and lose their lives under the watch of the leaders who claim to be working to improve the lives of the impoverished.
The provincial government’s obvious excuse for these tragedies was drought.
But what is the excuse for a lack of water supply when dams are full due to rainfall?
The government fails to admit that it is equally to blame for the water crisis by failing to ensure that departments pay their accounts to the various municipalities.
If the accounts are paid, water supply would not be cut by entities like Bloem Water.
Officials accuse residents but sweep their own filth under the carpet.
