About 14 civil society organisations (CSOs) in South Africa have begun a campaign for the supply of clean drinking water to all parts of the country.

Reports say the CSOs are particularly worried about water supply to Eastern Cape where residents have been struggling to access potable water in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

They are reported to have strongly criticised the South African government for not responding to warnings about the poor water supply in some parts of the country.

The problem of poor water supply has worsened over the past three years with a devastating drought plaguing large parts of South Africa, according to Centre for Applied Legal Studies at the Wits University.

According to the centre, many municipalities, already wracked by mismanagement and corruption, have completely failed to deliver the water their constituents need to survive in accordance with constitutional provisions.

Executive Director at Afesis-corplan, a development NGO, Nontando Ngamlana, said that government must listen to the concerns about water supply.

‘Part of what we are doing here today is to say to the government: At some point, we need you to listen. Recognise our voice and our struggle. Recognise that we have been resilient for so long’, Ngamlana said.

‘We are exploring litigation as a way to amplify our voice and find a short term solution… As a collective, we cannot say this loud enough. This is what is in our heart’.

A member of parliament Bantu Holomisa called on the South African government to offer greater assistance to affected communities.

‘As a long-term strategy, we can look at importing water from water-rich African countries, like Nigeria, Congo, and Cameroon, and have it shipped in along the coastline. Water infrastructure development, however, must be prioritised’, Holomisa said.

Source: Africa Feeds

Photo source: World Bank Photo Collection