PRESS RELEASE: RP Warns Stellenbosch Water Crisis Exposes Crisis Of Local Democracy
The Referendum Party says reports of a looming water crisis in DA-run Stellenbosch expose serious failures of municipal oversight with potentially life-threatening consequences for residents.
PRESS RELEASE: RP Warns Stellenbosch Water Crisis Exposes Crisis of Local Democracy
The Referendum Party (RP) is deeply alarmed by reports published by The Cape Independent indicating a looming water crisis in the DA-run Stellenbosch Municipality. If these claims are accurate, residents may be facing mere weeks of potable water remaining - not due to drought, but due to systemic mismanagement and the collapse of technical capacity.
RP is particularly concerned that this crisis appears to follow the same pattern exposed in a previous race scandal in Stellenbosch revealed by The Cape Independent in September 2025, in which senior officials were alleged to have been promoting race-based hiring decisions and driving out experienced staff. Their most recent reporting suggests that qualified engineers have been forced out, recruitment processes obstructed, and essential infrastructure neglected - allegedly to satisfy ideological objectives that voters have repeatedly rejected at the ballot box.
RP Executive Committee member Robert King says: “This raises the same concerns identified during the Stellenbosch race scandal that broke last year: the DA may win elections, even with majorities, but it does not necessarily control what happens inside its own municipalities. In many instances, it appears that rogue civil servants are imposing their own ideologies over competence and the democratic wishes of residents - and in the case of water provision, the consequences could be life-threatening.”
As South Africa approaches the 2026 local government elections, a major political realignment is already underway in the Western Cape and beyond. Voters should support parties that will deliver efficient, accountable local governance aligned with their values, and not be misled by myths promoted by desperate actors seeking to discourage voting for smaller parties.
RP will continue to monitor developments in Stellenbosch closely and reiterates its commitment to meritocratic, competent, and non-racial local governance.