– DA urges urgent action to address crime affecting water and electricity supply in Greater Giyani.
– Water Mafia and perpetrators of cable theft, illegal connections and vandalism must be arrested.
– A need for greater cooperation with law enforcement and by-laws that protect municipal infrastructure.
The DA will write to the Mopani District Municipal Manager, Tshepo Mogano, to urgently address crime and suspected corruption that threatens water and electricity services in the Greater Giyani area.
Giyani is facing an electricity and water crisis largely due to cable theft and water mafias that sabotage municipal water infrastructure and sell water at exorbitant prices. This also results in the municipality’s heavy reliance on outsourced water tankers in processes that lack transparency.
Villages such as Siyandhani, Dzumeri and other neighbouring areas have constant electricity challenges and are constantly affected by illegal connections, cable theft and vandalism of infrastructure. The failure to address this criminality has resulted in load reduction and power outages that also compromises the safety of residents.
Nkurhi, Mninginisi, Makhuva and Khaxani villages are largely left without water because of vandalised infrastructure and tampering with bulk pipes. The failure by both Mopani and Greater Giyani Municipalities to tackle the water mafia crisis and implement by-laws that protect infrastructure threatens services to residents.
The DA has previously written to Mopani District Municipality to attend to issues caused by water mafia, cable theft and illegal connections but nothing has been done, while criminals benefit from municipal funds. The municipality already spends millions on security services and must ensure greater cooperation with law enforcement to safeguard municipal infrastructure and ensure criminals are arrested.
The DA is committed to protecting residents from crime while ensuring accountability, transparency and adequate services for residents of Greater Giyani.