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The Democratic Alliance has asked the Eastern Cape provincial legislature to hold an urgent debate to resolve the ongoing unreliable water supply in Grahamstown.
Shadow MEC for Local Government Dacre Haddon says the Makana municipality is withholding the basic human right of access to water and of a healthy environment from all the people of Grahamstown.
Parts of the city, including Rhodes University, have been without water for the past nine days.
Haddin says Grahamstown is suffering from systemic infrastructure failure and the health hazard caused by the situation is unacceptable.
"First of all the emergency piping system that gives the back-up from the" poort", the piping there has been stolen, a few hundred meters of it. Secondly the infrastructure of 15km of power that is also a problem we are trying to get a 1km linked up to Eskom, that is taking too long. The two pumps have packed up and they are over 60 years old"
Haddin says he'll be expecting answers from the MEC for Local Government at the next Legislature sitting on the 27th of August - otherwise the DA might be forced to take legal action.
"In terms of the constitution every citisen is entitled to have adequate water and food and also to live in a healthy environment. To have poor folk living in the nearby informal settlement and those in houses to not have water for 10 days is an absolute disgrace" Haddon said,
Rhodes University vice chancellor, Dr Saleem Badat, lead a march of staff and students on Wednesday to the Makana Municipality to protest against the 9-day water shortage.
He said there's a real danger that the university may have to close if the situation is not remedied soon.
Badat said that they've been patient for too long, adding that the impact on the institution and its residences is severe.
Makana municipality said they hope to restore the full water supply to Grahamstown by Friday.
