Business organisation Sakeliga is preparing an urgent court application to prevent the cut-off of water supply services in several municipalities in the North West.
Sakeliga has given Sedibeng Water until May 27 to withdraw instructions to its employees and to ensure continuing services after the water agency on May 25 issued a suspension notice, effective June 1, for the supply of bulk water, and operational and maintenance services in some parts of the province.
Sakeliga's legal team is preparing the necessary urgent application to ask the High Court for an appropriate interdict failing a withdrawal of the termination instructions, it said in a statement.
The pending disruption affects the Ngaka Modiri Molema district municipality, as well as the Mahikeng, Ditsobotla and Ratlou local municipalities. It involves towns such as Mahikeng, Lichtenburg, Delareyville, Ottosdal, and Zeerust, said Sakeliga CEO Piet le Roux.
“The State must stop shifting the burden of its internal problems to business people and the local community. Sedibeng Water is an organ of State and does not have the right to suspend services to businesses and the public at large owing to its failure to obtain proper payment from another organ of State,” he said.
“Organs of State such as Sedibeng Water may not interrupt its services to paying businesses and the community at large until it has at least complied with the legal prescriptions on intergovernmental disputes.”
According to Le Roux, Sedibeng Water did not properly inform or consult local businesses and communities.
“We anticipate that the outcome of this urgent litigation will be to secure water supply at least on a temporary basis,” he noted.