Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs Mrs Edna Molewa has warned anyone abusing their position to solicit sexual favours from women, that tough action will be taken against them. This is in response to an article in the Sowetan newspaper (Sex for water scandal probe - 28 August) where it claimed a councillor in the Limpopo province is demanding sex from poor women in the Makhaduthamaga local municipality in Jane Furse in exchange for connection to water services.
“I am deeply disturbed by these allegations and wish to express my disgust that 19 years into our democracy women are subjected to such indignity as to the asked for sexual favours in exchange to being connected to water services. While the councillor in question has not been found guilty the department is encouraged that an investigation into the allegations is underway.
The Department of Water Affairs as custodian of water resources in the country assists municipalities to deliver water to communities. In the last three years, the department has spent about R12.6 million in water purification projects in the area. Minister Molewa also visited the district in 2011 and pledged further water schemes to increase access for the communities. It is therefore unthinkable that communities’ especially vulnerable women should be made to pay with their bodies for services that government renders, as alleged in this instance.
Minister Molewa who is also an executive member of the ANC Women’s League added, “as National Women’s Month draws to a close, I urge all women to come forward and report abuse of this nature to the authorities”. Anyone who is found guilty of such behaviour must be dealt with harshly”.
In the matter concerning the women in the villages around the Makhaduthamaga local municipality, the minister will engage the municipality with a view to establishing the facts around this matter in order to ensure that appropriate steps are taken. She also called on the municipality to ensure the safety and well being of the women who have come forward and to prevent victimisation and reprisals from the alleged culprit against them.
