LARRY CRISP | Mixing water and politics results in a deadly concoction

Water mixes well with many things – juice, tea and that liquid that most of us cannot start the day properly without, coffee. Imagine cooking your favourite pap without water, it just does not make any sense and is impossible. There is one thing that comes top of mind when thinking about what water should not mix with – and that is politics.

Yes, every single South African has the right to water but embedded in that statement should be that every South African should also protect this precious resource. South African water and sanitation infrastructure has suffered a spate of vandalism in recent years, leaving most municipalities unable to supply services to communities.

Resuscitating infrastructure of this nature is not an overnight process and requires millions of rand in some instances. Municipalities are not able to do this by themselves and the department of water and sanitation has to step in on most occasions.

A lot of community members do not pay for their services, whether they can afford to or not. Chemicals required to get water to drinking standards are not free, neither are they cheap, yet many expect to get clean water without parting with a cent. When we do not get this, we take to the streets and burn tyres as this is the South African way.

With any infrastructure – roads, electricity, water or sanitation – it’s a give and take situation. These cannot be free services as constant maintenance has to be done to ensure they remain in an acceptable state. It is a shame that in some instances politics play a role when it comes to these critical services.

Sabotage of infrastructure is a card well played to create instability in a municipal area. The question beckons, why would someone sabotage a resource that supplies them and their neighbours with water? These people use this water as a political weapon to try and discredit the municipality. The aim is usually to incite protests from the community, and this could have dire consequences.

If you are questioning the above statement, pay close attention to media reports on protests leading up to the national elections that will take place next year. It is inevitable that water is destined to become an even more prized commodity and likely source of conflict than at present.

Communities should not allow water to be used as a weapon to settle personal issues. Stay vigilant and report any suspicious activities near water treatment works or waste water treatment plants to the police or to the local municipality. The saying goes: “When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.”

• Crisp is communications manager at the department of water and sanitation in Free State