Dear Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation,

We are part of Dihlabeng Municiplaity in Bethllehem-however we have serious water/electricity problems, due to the Municipality not paying Escom.
The town of Clarens pay house/business electricity directly to Escom-so it are runnig smoothly.
Unfortunately the water supply pumps into our water Reservoirs (and the sewerage system) electricity are paid via Dihlabeng Municiplaity (residents pay the Municipality for water/sewerage services).
Unfortunately Dihlabeng did not pay water/sewerage system bill of Escom and Escom cut the electricity.

We have a Community Forum in Town and after lenghty discussions, convinced Dihlabeng to pay Escom.
We also have a Tourism forum that promote tourism/town out of own funds

However on a community meeting this week-Escom told us that they will switcch the electricity for water supply , again off on the 6 December 2018-unless outstanding money get paid by the Municipality.
The problem is that Clarens is surviving as a result of Tourism/Golden Gate etc -and with no water during the peak season= no tourists=unemployment and bankcruptcy will follow.
The community Forum are using what ever means they can, to prevent this-unfortunately if legal people get involved-things esaclate and costs escalate as well , which is not a good way to solve the problem.

So our request is: As Minister of Tourism can you please ask you fellow Ministers to help solve the problem-or if yu can assist please?
The Chair of the Forum is Vanessa Knowles : E Mail: Knowles@ashbrook.co.za.
The volunteers working on our water supply problems (they got involved to fix other water infrastructure supply problems) and negotiating :

Sjoerd de Boer: deboeratlast@absamail.co.za
Ray Meyers: ray.meyers@icloud.com

We as a community realy hope that you can assit or refer us to the appropriate people
Thank you very much
Johan Willemse (Prof)