IRR launches #WhatSACanBe service delivery app

South Africa’s water crisis is getting worse as the chickens of misgovernance come home to roost.

Communities around the country are dealing with either undrinkable water or no water at all. This has led to protests in various parts of South Africa, most recently in Westbury in Johannesburg, where roads were blocked by protesters.

Municipal officials must be held accountable for their failure to maintain infrastructure.

To this end, the Institute of Race Relations (IRR) has developed an app through which any breakdown in water infrastructure can be documented. The IRR intends to use the photos and videos submitted by the public to build a dossier to reveal the true state of South Africa’s water infrastructure.

To download the #WhatSACanBe app, click here and follow the prompts below:

1. If you’re on a phone or tablet, you can add the app to your home screen by following the prompt on the screen. You can also use it directly in the browser on your phone, tablet, or computer.
2. Create an account, sign in and submit your issue using any of the eight issue categories, ranging from pipe leakages to dirty water.

Says IRR Researcher Chris Patterson: “Municipalities will not be able to hide from what their residents see and experience daily. The ease of the app allows South Africans to quickly document their issue and report it to the relevant municipality and thus help to create more responsive government. South Africans deserve clean, running water every day.”

The IRR will visit the Govan Mbeki Municipality in Mpumalanga on Monday to speak to residents, stakeholders, and officials about the state of water in that municipality, which has been struggling without water due to the overstretched Rand Water utility being unable to deliver.

We will continue to defend the interests of all South Africans and their right to effective service delivery.

Download the IRR’s #WhatSACanBe app here.

Read the IRR’s report on solutions for Gauteng’s water crisis here.

Media contact: Chris Patterson, IRR Researcher, Tel: 063 682 5035 Email: chrisp@irr.org.za

Media enquiries: Michael Morris, Tel: 066 302 1968 Email: michael@irr.org.za