The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on the municipality to urgently replace the old brass water meters with the new tamper-resistant plastic water meters, which have significantly less scrap value and are far less attractive to thieves. This proactive step can help reduce theft, save water, and protect municipal infrastructure.
We further urge residents of Lephalale and Onverwacht to report all incidents of theft and vandalism of water meters to SAPS and to insist on a case number.
Night after night, water meters are being stolen, leaving homes without water and causing unnecessary hardship.
In most instances, the stolen meters are left open, resulting in thousands of litres of clean drinking water to flow into the streets for hours before the municipality is notified.
The continued theft of water meters is costing the municipality millions of rand in replacement costs and water losses.
At the same time, residents are forced to endure water interruptions, damaged properties, and lengthy delays while waiting for replacements.
We further call on the municipality to:
Prioritise the replacement of water meters in the worst-affected areas.
Strengthen security measures and work closely with law enforcement to arrest those responsible.
Clamp down on scrap metal dealers who buy stolen municipal infrastructure.
Ensure that stolen meters are replaced without unnecessary delays.
Residents deserve reliable access to water without living in fear that their water supply will be cut off overnight because of criminal activity.
We request residents to forward case numbers to DA councillors so that patterns can be monitored and pressure maintained for proper investigations and arrests.