The Pretoria High Court has ruled against Afriforum’s case alleging Rand Water is throttling or reducing water supply to the Govan Mbeki Local Municipality (GMLM).
AfriForum, approached the Pretoria High Court, on the 11th December 2024, seeking an urgent to interdict against Rand Water.
But in court, Rand Water contested these claims and proved to the court that no formal decision was made to throttle or reduce water supply to GMLM.
Rand Water presented evidence to the court demonstrating that the allegations were unfounded.
After hearing arguments from both Rand Water and AfriForum, the court dismissed AfriForum’s application and granted a cost order against AfriForum.
The dismissal was based on findings that there was no throttling decision taken by Rand Water. The court also ruled that AfriForum had failed to establish sufficient grounds for the matter to be heard on an urgent basis.
Rand Water said on Friday, “AfriForum’s premature application not only lacked factual support but mischaracterized Rand Water’s position on matters relating to its mandate of providing bulk potable water to its municipal customers. Rand Water perceives AfriForum’s sustained mischaracterization as part of the broader agenda by some sections of the society to discredit the entity and its leadership. If AfriForum’s intentions were sincere, AfriForum would have engaged Rand Water to obtain the facts and Rand Water would have provided the required facts.”
Rand Water has also pleaded with civil society to use their influence to persuade municipalities that owe Rand Water to pay for the bulk potable water they receive.
Furthermore, these organisations can work with municipalities to reduce non-revenue water that municipalities are losing to ensure that most of the water that Rand Water supplies to municipalities reaches intended communities.
Picture: Govan Mbeki Municipality back in October 2024.