South Africa: Nelson Mandela Bay's Almighty Water Catastrophe - Stop Bickering and Fix Things, Bishop Urges

13 June 2022
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
analysis By Estelle Ellis

As the coalition metro is plagued by political infighting, a Methodist bishop is calling for residents and leaders to come together to face the water emergency.

With Nelson Mandela Bay facing an unprecedented crisis as extremely low dam levels threaten water supply to large parts of the city, Bishop Jacob Freemantle, the Methodist bishop for the city, has called for a water summit.

The metro's political precariousness was highlighted by a recent row in a curry restaurant in Gqeberha that resulted in mayor Eugene Johnson firing Siyanda Manyana, a political consultant from GOOD, one of the political parties in the unstable coalition that is in charge of the city.

Video footage shows Manyana and councillor Lawrence Troon in an ugly shouting match in the popular restaurant, Royal Delhi, over the appointment of the city manager.

Because of the low water levels, the emergency barge (a floating pump station) at Impofu Dam had to be decommissioned on Thursday, 9 June.

The municipality said levels at the city's second-largest dam were so low that the pumps could suck up mud and sludge. This left parts of the metro without water.

On Thursday, Impofu Dam had six days of water left and the...

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