AfriForum holds business breakfast about Parys’ future
The civil rights organisation, AfriForum, held a business breakfast for Parys’ businesses on Wednesday, 8 March, to find a solution to ongoing water problems. This meeting follows after the taps of Parys once again ran dry in 2023, and residents still have to endure constant water interruptions.
At the breakfast, it was decided that a water forum would be established which would consist of various community members and organisations to draw up and launch a sustainable plan for water security.
AfriForum’s legal team already brought two urgent court applications against the Ngwathe municipality in 2022 regarding the poor management and quality of the town’s water. However, the situation deteriorated to such an extent that angry community members took to the streets in January and brought the town to a standstill with large-scale protests.
According to Dr Marlene van der Merwe-Botha from The Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA) in Johannesburg, the water infrastructure of Parys is an enormous issue that contributes to the ongoing water problems in the town. “The water infrastructure is worrying. We see the consequences of the interruption of the water supply to the communities as well as the decrease in the water quality. The solution lies in local authorities joining hands with the private sector and working together to solve this problem.”
“The meeting was held to get the community’s input and devise a plan for sustainable water supply for the town in the future. AfriForum’s Parys branch approached several businesses and presented plans that would enable the community to solve the current problems. The community needs to start making plans themselves, as self-management of water is the only way that Parys will have continuous clean water again,” says Jaco Grobbelaar, AfriForum’s Regional Head for the Central Region.
“We will continue to litigate against the municipality and put them under pressure in the courts to improve service delivery. The municipality expects residents to pay their bills every month despite poor service delivery and misappropriation. It is time that we ourselves take responsibility for our towns and manage our tax money to ensure that services are indeed delivered,” concludes Grobbelaar.
Become part of the solution: SMS the word “Parys” to 45344.
