Johannesburg - The handling of the water crisis has revealed a crisis in the governance of Cape Town, former Health MEC Theuns Botha said over the weekend.
"Come Day Zero the DA in CT will hit Support Zero," said Botha in responding to a News24 video in which Deputy Mayor Ian Neilson - who is currently in charge of the city's water situation - appears stumped by questions about the day by which water is expected to completely run out.
"Watching this pathetic interview on this most important issue, I am of opinion that the mayor of PutSonderWater would have done better!" declared Botha in a Facebook post.
"We are in serious trouble and those who we trusted to save us, are… who and where?"
READ Zille on SA Weather Service: I did not blame them for getting rainfall wrong
Botha said, nevertheless, Nielsen could not be the only one to blame: "What has the [Western Cape premier Helen] Zille and successor administrations done since she became mayor in 2006 - 12 years ago?"
"…Not only is this the biggest draught disaster but also a major Governance disaster [sic]".
Responding to Botha's post on Twitter, Helen Zille pointed out his spelling error: "Draught as in 'wind' or draught as in 'beer'?" she tweeted.
On Sunday, Zille told News24 that Botha had many "axes to grind".
"…So take it from where it comes," she said in response to his Facebook post.
At the end of 2014, Botha was moved - by Zille - from the provincial health portfolio to cultural affairs and sports.
At the time, reports suggested that there had long been tension between the two - allegedly originating from 2006 when Botha, then the party's leader in the province, apparently did not support Zille's bid for the mayoral position in Cape Town.
Botha resigned from government in 2015.
Watch News24's interview with Neilson here:
KEEP UPDATED on the latest news by subscribing to our FREE newsletter.
- FOLLOW News24 on Twitter
