Wolfgat Sub-council councillors have been inundated with complaints about leaks after water management devices (WMD) were installed to restrict residents from using more than their daily quota.
This comes after the City of Cape Town announced on Thursday January 18 that Level 6B restrictions would come into effect tomorrow, Thursday February 1.
The quota of 87 litres a person a day, under level 6 restrictions, has been reduced to 50 litres a day.
As from Monday January 1 households which used more than 10 500 litres a month could be fitted with a water management device, at a cost of R4 100 to the property owner.
Sheval Arendse, sub-council chairman and councillor for Ward 82, took a City of Cape Town official to task during their monthly meeting at the Lentegeur administrative offices on Thursday January 25.
According to the C3 notification progress report for the period between October 1 and December 31, last year, the sub-council had fielded about 305 complaints about the water management devices.
Mr Arendse said in one case the device had been unable to contain the pressure, resulting in a pipe bursting and causing massive water loss.
“Who do we blame?” he asked.
He said residents complain and file C3 notifications but there was a slow response to having leakages fixed.
“But this could be avoided if the device is installed properly,” he said.
Mr Arendse said the call centre had been flooded with complaints and that if the matter was not addressed, local council offices would be closed and moved to a central office on Day Zero, which is now predicted to be Monday April 16.
Solomon Philander, councillor for Ward 79, said his household had been without water for a day.
“I can’t imagine it happening every day. Getting the children ready for school and feeding them (was difficult),” he said.
The liquor licence application by Mitchell’s Plain Recreation Association, based at Portland Indoor Sport and Recreational centre, corner of Hazeldene and Merrydale avenues, has been refused.
Initially Danny Christians, councillor for Ward 81, supported the application on condition that the association had a business licence and that after the building was renovated it would have an occupancy certificate.
Mr Arendse refused the application on the grounds that the centre is a family and youth centre, which hosts various sporting codes.
“Church groups utilise the centre for church and prayer meetings; and the centre is situated opposite the Jehovah Witness Church,” he said.
Director for area south, Alesia Bosman, noted the comment received from the City’s Planning Department, which refused the application because the property was zoned as Community 2, which does not permit the sale of alcoholic beverages.
In a letter dated October 13, and signed by Facility Management Committee (FMC) chairman Eddie Marshall, however, he supported the application to sell liquor on the premises.
“The sale of liquor has to be done under strict control and the following conditions apply: that no persons under the age of 18 be allowed to buy or consume liquor on the premises; and that liquor bought on the premises must be consumed in the main arena where it is bought,” read the letter.
Senior environmental health practitioner Shahnaz Howell, in her report said there were four schools situated within a radius of between 23 metres to 400 metres of the centre; three educare centres within a 250 metre radius; and three places of worship.
