CAPE TOWN, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The ruling African National Congress (ANC) said on Wednesday it supports a call on the national government to intervene in the worsening water crisis in Cape Town.
This came after the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), which administers the city, criticized the national government for failing to come to Cape Town's rescue. A repeated call on President Jacob Zuma to declare Cape Town's water crisis "a national disaster" has been unheeded.
Whilst the DA continues to blame everyone but themselves for the crisis in the city, the national government must continue with its commendable efforts to fight on the side of the people and do everything in their power to step in where this DA fails to govern, the ANC said in a statement emailed to Xinhua.
In order for the city to focus on defusing the water crisis, the ANC Caucus at Cape Town Metropolitan Council has withdrawn a motion of no confidence against Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille who is suspected of involvement in a series of corruption scandals.
The ANC accused the DA of trying to opportunistically hijack the motion of no confidence to resolve its own internal squabbles over resources linked to the city's water crisis.
Whilst De Lille is the face of a corrupt, dysfunctional municipality as well as a weak, directionless DA at the city, "she is but one cog of a bigger problem that is the DA and its patronage networks within the city," the ANC said.
The local and national governments have blamed each other for failure to contain the water crisis, fueling panic among Cape Town residents.
The DA is facing mounting criticism for its negligence of duty that has led to the depeening water crisis.
But the party said there is a misconception that it is the sole responsibility of the city to address the water crisis.
"It is the constitutional mandate of the national government to deliver water to all municipalities," DA leader Mmusi Maimane said last week.
With a population of about six million, Cape Town is about to run out of water due to the most severe drought that has gripped the city in history.
The city announced April 12 as Day Zero when dams supplying water to Cape Town run dry, water taps are switched off and Capetonians have to collect water at designated points.
But on Tuesday DA leader Mmusi Maimaine said water-saving efforts have helped push back Day Zero to April 16.
