The DA provided a complete water system for R2.6 million that the City of Johannesburg could not complete for R37 million

The DA provided a community with a borehole and a full water system for R2.6 million, whereas only the borehole standpipe would have cost the municipality R37 million.

The Water Wax community in Johannesburg has lacked a reliable water supply for a very long time.

The DA’s mayoral candidate, Helen Zille, said that the City of Johannesburg began drilling a borehole to solve this problem, but then the work stopped.

“The City of Johannesburg had run out of money. The project, like so many others, was abandoned after a month,” she said.

She visited the community and saw their desperation. She promised that the DA would complete the project and bring them fresh water.

Zille knew they could deliver the entire project, including the borehole, for a fraction of the R37 million, and raised the money to get the job done.

They launched a complete water system, including a borehole, solar panels, an inverter, security, and a large purification system for R2.6 million.

“We delivered the full water system for 7% of what the City planned to spend on the standpipe system alone,” she said.

One would have expected the City of Johannesburg to thank the DA for bringing the Water Wax community reliable and clear water. However, this did not happen.

“When we stepped in to finish the job the City had abandoned, Johannesburg Water tried to stop us,” Zille said.

“Officials arrived with the ANC Ward councillor and ordered us to stop work. They threatened to prosecute us for trespassing.”

Zille said that they were prepared to defend in court the DA’s right to complete an abandoned water project so that this community could have clean water.

Johannesburg Water backed down. However, that was not the end of the story. They soon had to deal with Transnet.

“As the project neared completion, Transnet tried to stop us because one of the manifolds was situated in the rail reserve,” she said.

“This is not a functioning railway line. It lies in ruins because Transnet failed to maintain it. What remains are a few concrete sleepers among weeds and a recycling site.”

Zille told Transnet that when there are concrete plans to rebuild the railway, they would move the manifold.

“We stood firm because the constitutional rights of residents come before bureaucracy, political obstruction and government failure,” she said.

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Water Wax water system photos

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