Forgotten Water Wax Gets Water

The following remarks were delivered by Helen Zille, as the DA proudly launched a water supply for the community of Water Wax, Johannesburg – that was forgotten and left behind by the City:

Today, on Spring Day, we delivered a clean, safe drinking water supply to the Water Wax community.

For years, this community has lived without a proper water supply.

Almost exactly a year ago, the City of Johannesburg began drilling a borehole here. Then the work stopped. The City had run out of money. The project, like so many others, was abandoned.

In response to a question from DA Councillor Maureen Mnisi, the City revealed that the budget for the standpipe component of the borehole project and was almost R37 million.

R37 million for standpipes for an abandoned incomplete borehole.

We knew we could deliver the entire project, including the borehole, for a fraction of that amount – so the DA raised the money and got the job done.

Today we are launching a complete water system, including the borehole, solar panels, inverter, security and a large purification system to ensure that the water is clean and safe to drink.

And we delivered all of this for just 7% of what the City planned to spend on the standpipe system alone.

That tells you something about what has gone wrong in Johannesburg.

But there is an even more disturbing part of this story.

The Constitution guarantees access to water, and local government has a duty to progressively realise that right. Yet when we stepped in to finish the job the City had abandoned, Johannesburg Water tried to stop us.

Officials arrived with the ANC Ward 10 councillor — who had been absent for more than a year — and ordered us to stop work. They threatened to prosecute us for trespassing.

We told them: Go ahead.

We were prepared to defend in court our right to complete an abandoned water project so that this community could finally have clean water.

Fortunately, Johannesburg Water backed down.

Then, as the project neared completion, Transnet tried to stop us because one of the manifolds was situated in the rail reserve.

The irony is extraordinary.

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.

We told Transnet that when there are concrete plans to rebuild the railway, we will happily move the manifold.

But Water Wax needs water now.

And today, they have it.

This project tells the story of Johannesburg in miniature.

The City budgeted almost R37 million and failed to finish the job.

The DA delivered the project, and more, for 7% of that amount.

And instead of helping us, organs of the ANC-led state tried to stop us.

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

If this is what the DA can achieve in opposition, imagine what we can do in government.

On 4 November, Johannesburg has a choice: more excuses, waste and failure — or a government that gets things done.

Thank you to everyone who stood firm with us, and above all to the Water Wax community.

This partnership is what it will take to get Joburg Working for All.