The IFP calls on government to provide a long term and permanent water solution for areas such as Clocolan and Marquard under Setsoto Municipality in the Free State, whose residents are constantly facing service delivery failure.

IFP Spokesperson on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr Peter Smith, MP, claimed that the issue of water scarcity in the Setsoto Municipality was not new, and had already resulted in service delivery protests. He said that it was completely unacceptable that thousands of residents, including schoolchildren, had had no water in Clocolan and Marquard areas for a long time, and that people were having to revert to the hated bucket system for sanitation.

"This is outrageous", said Smith. "People can not live without water. This represents a failure of the municipality and of government in general to fulfil their constitutional obligations to the people, whose human rights and dignity are under assault by the very people whom they voted into office."

The IFP calls on the Minister of Water Affairs and relevant provincial governments to apply themselves to the water crisis throughout the drier parts of the country and to treat the water crisis with the seriousness it deserves.

"And in respect of the Setsoto municipality, we do not want to see any more victims like Andries Tatane who lost his life during service delivery protests last year in this municipal area," said Smith.