Residents of Bhisho and surrounding areas remain without reliable water, despite repeated explanations from the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) and the expiry of the planned maintenance period on the Laing Bulk Water System.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is deeply concerned that communities have been left to endure ongoing outages, limited emergency water provision, and poor communication from BCMM while the crisis continues.
I will write to BCMM Executive Mayor Princess Faku and Amatola Water to demand that they issue joint daily public updates until full supply is restored. These updates must set out reservoir levels, pumping status, affected areas, tanker schedules, and the estimated timeline for normalisation.
The interruption was first linked to a burst pipe on 26 April. On 29 April, residents were informed that cable theft was the cause. Maintenance was then scheduled from 8 to 10 May, yet Bhisho, West Bank, Ginsberg, Breidbach, and the high-lying areas of the Qonce CBD remain affected by unreliable water supply.
Fresh municipal notices issued this week indicate that problems linked to the Qonce Water Treatment Plant and Amatola Water’s ability to pump to affected areas have continued beyond the planned shutdown period.
Residents need clear answers on when supply will be fully restored, not shifting explanations and vague assurances.
The impact on essential services has been severe. The Bhisho Legislature and its staff have again been affected by the outage. The hospital has reportedly had to transfer patients, offices of civil servants have been left empty, and the local police station cannot operate optimally because its water tanks have run dry.
The three water tankers deployed to the affected areas are wholly inadequate. They cannot meet the needs of households, businesses, vulnerable residents, public institutions, and essential services that depend on a consistent water supply.
BCMM’s handling of this crisis also raises serious concerns about the municipality’s longer-term water management plans. Council approved on 8 May that Amatola Water would handle water matters within the metro, yet no budget, implementation plan, or start date was presented for this arrangement.
Residents cannot be expected to survive on uncertainty. BCMM must provide a credible restoration timeline, publish regular public updates on reservoir recovery and pumping capacity, and ensure that emergency water provision is expanded until normal supply is fully restored.
I will request an urgent site meeting with Amatola Water and BCMM officials responsible for the Qonce Water Treatment Plant and Laing Bulk Water System, so that residents can be given a direct explanation of the failures, the repair work still outstanding, and the expected timeline for full restoration.
The DA will also continue to press BCMM for answers on the restoration of water supply, the adequacy of emergency tanker provision, and the implementation details of the Amatola Water arrangement.