the response from national government has been equally deplorable it forced the municipality to take on politically connected consultants at exorbitant prices as opposed to truly dealing with the unfolding water crisis this is in keeping with the ruling party’s stock response to most issues namely crisis what crisis in fact we have heard this phrase so often lately that the public would be forgiven for thinking that this is the anc’s new election slogan it certainly encapsulates the government’s response to the crisis of acid mine drainage with the planning minister summarily dismissing any concerns despite the fact that forty million litres of acid mine water