During today’s Council meeting, the ZF Mgcawu District Municipal Council resolved that the ongoing water shortages in Kai !Garib Municipality require immediate and decisive intervention. Our communities have endured prolonged hardship and as reaffirmed during the South African Human Rights Commission inquiry, access to safe drinking water is a basic human right, one we cannot afford to compromise.

Council has mandated the Executive Mayor, Cllr Maryna Basson, to lead a dedicated ZFM team to urgently support Kai !Garib Municipality. Using our own limited resources, the District Municipality has begun delivering water to affected communities as a short-term measure to help stabilise the situation.

While this intervention is not a permanent solution, it is a necessary one. We will continue providing support within the constraints of our available resources, until the local municipality has the situation fully under control.

We sincerely apologise to all residents for the distress caused by the water shortages. The District remains committed to standing with our communities, acting with urgency and doing everything possible to restore dignity and access to this essential service.

ISSUED BY THE ZF MGCAWU DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY
10/12/2025