Government must refund Cape Town for cost of managing the water crisis
The government will have to refund the Western Cape and the City of Cape Town for the costs they are incurring to manage the water crisis‚ the Western Cape provincial cabinet resolved on Wednesday. A statement from Michael Mpofu‚ spokesperson for premier Helen Zille‚ said managing the crisis meant the bulk water supply would have to be increased‚ and the provincial and city government were doing this. However‚ "the provision of bulk water supply is a national government mandate"‚ said the statement. "Where water supply has to be increased in emergency circumstances by the province or the city‚ it amounts to an unfunded emergency mandate‚ for which the costs have to be recovered." The cabinet was briefed by the Western Cape police commissioner‚ Major-General Khombinkosi Jula‚ about the "day zero" security plan for Cape Town. "The South African Police Service presented a strategy that included the deployment of forces at the various points of distribution across the metro‚ regular pat...
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