The South African Municipal Workers' Union (Samwu) has come out guns blazing against Water and Sanitation minister Nomvula Mokonyane’s decision to cut water supply to 30 municipalities‚ describing it an “evil” plan.

“The South African Municipal Workers’ Union has learnt with disappointment the plans by the department of water and sanitation to cut off water supply to more than 30 municipalities‚ an evil plan which would essentially leave millions of South Africans without water - which is by the way a basic right‚” the union said in a statement.

Mokonyane announced on Monday that her department had issued notices to 30 defaulting municipalities‚ demanding they make arrangements to pay their share of R10.7-billion owed to several water authorities before December 8.

If no action is taken bulk water suppliers will throttle supply to the municipalities‚ which will have to “replenish” their water reserves by paying up.

The 30 municipalities are among 186 local government structures that owe money for water. The 30 identified all owe more than R50-million combined; close to R7-billion of this debt is 120 days and older.

“It is very disappointing that Mokonyane‚ as someone who has ambitions of being in the national leadership of the ANC‚ could hatch such a plan without taking into consideration the ramifications‚ particularly on the working class and the poor‚” the union said.

Samwu said it understands that the country is facing a water crisis‚ however‚ it believes the crisis has been engineered by Mokonyane’s department‚ who “has deliberately delayed the Lesotho Highlands Water Project‚ allegedly so her cronies can benefit from some of the contracts”.

“This is the same department that owes billions of rands to contractors and has shown no commitment to paying those contractors‚ essentially leaving workers without a paycheck.

“This is also the same department that has failed to release the Blue and Green Reports for the past five years‚ also disadvantaging workers who get incentives for achieving those results‚” said the union.

“It would therefore be immoral‚ unethical and evil for anyone to even think of interrupting water supply as an attempt to force municipalities to pay their debts.”