The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has called on the Democratic Alliance (DA) and ActionSA to take collective responsibility for the waterborne illness outbreak affecting residents in Bronkhorstspruit and Hammanskraal.
The party has laid criminal charges against Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya and lodged complaints with the Public Protector and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), demanding accountability over the water crisis.
Addressing journalists outside the Public Protector’s office in Pretoria, EFF Treasurer-General and Tshwane mayoral committee member Omphile Maotwe accused the DA and ActionSA of repeatedly protecting City Manager Johann Mettler from accountability.
Maotwe alleged that failures to ensure adequate chlorination at some water treatment plants contributed to the crisis, arguing that the city’s political leadership should be held accountable for the consequences.
She said the DA and ActionSA had consistently voted together in defence of Mettler, despite calls for action against him.
“Being in a coalition does not mean there are no differences,” Maotwe said, questioning why the parties should not share responsibility for decisions made within the municipality.
She argued that the coalition partners had previously opposed efforts in council to hold the city manager accountable, but were now distancing themselves from the consequences of the crisis.
“Where was this collective responsibility?” she asked, challenging the parties to account for their previous decisions regarding Mettler’s position.
EFF demands Moya’s resignation
Maotwe also rejected Mayor Moya’s explanation that municipal officials had failed to inform her when chlorine supplies ran out.
Moya has blamed officials for not communicating the shortage, but Maotwe argued that the alleged failure to alert the mayor reflected shortcomings in leadership and oversight.
“The fact that the officials did not tell her, it means she is not in charge,” Maotwe said.
She called on Moya to resign, insisting that the mayor should take responsibility for ensuring the effective management of municipal services and protecting residents’ health.
Maotwe further questioned why an urgent meeting of the mayoral committee had allegedly not been convened following the outbreak, which she said had been reported the previous Thursday.
Although the municipal council had been dissolved ahead of the local government elections, Maotwe argued that the city’s executive leadership remained responsible for addressing the emergency.
She accused Moya of failing to respond with sufficient urgency and said residents needed immediate access to safe drinking water.
Residents warned about water safety
Residents in the affected areas have been warned against using water from household taps or coming into contact with it until further notice.
The warning comes amid concerns about the potential health risks associated with the reported water contamination.
The outbreak has intensified scrutiny of Tshwane’s water treatment systems, municipal oversight and the responsibilities of political and administrative leadership.
While the EFF has placed responsibility on the DA, ActionSA and the city manager, its allegations form part of an ongoing political dispute over accountability for the crisis.
The municipality’s response, the circumstances surrounding the reported chlorine shortage and the findings of any formal investigations will be central to establishing responsibility.