Helen Zille has invited the public to collect water from the stream that runs through Leeuwenhof, her official residence as Premier of the Western Cape.
In a statement, Zille’s spoksperson Michael Mpofu said ANC provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs had called on ANC members to go and collect water from the stream that runs through Leeuwenhof.
“There is a tap near the security gate at the Leeuwenhof Estate that supplies non-potable water. The pressure is low because of the drought. The stream off the mountain, which feeds this water source, often is low, or even dry, in summer,” Mpofu said.
During the course of last year, Zille requested the City of Cape Town to feed the water from this stream into the Molteno Reservoir, where it would be subsequently purified for domestic use. This work is in progress, Mpofu said
“Members of the public are welcome to fill bottles from that tap if there is sufficient pressure to do so, in an orderly and appropriate way.
“To be clear, the water available near the gate cannot be compared with the water from Newlands spring, for example. It is polluted water that cannot be used for drinking purposes.”
The purifier used to clean it is currently clogged with silt as a result of the reduction in water flow and an increased ratio of silt to water in the stream.
Police will monitor activity at the tap and uphold the law if necessary, Mpofu said.
The average level for dams across the Western Cape for the week stands at 22.6%. This time last year, levels stood at 34.7%.