A shocking titbit of information in Bloem Water’s annual budget has revealed that the utility service has only allowed for 6% of Matjhabeng maintenance requirements.
George Michalakis, member of parliament and DA constituency head for the Matjhabeng Local Municipality, says in a statement that the national Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has acknowledged that Bloem Water has a budget shortfall of R377 million to address the maintenance backlog in Matjhabeng regarding water infrastructure.
In a written parliamentary reply to the DA, the minister of water and sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, indicated that Bloem Water had allocated R25,2 million for the maintenance of infrastructure, whilst it needs R402 million to address the backlog.
“On top of this, the municipality has, on various occasions, defaulted on its payment to the water board and owes Bloem Water roughly R5 billion in debt from previous years.
“The water board, under such circumstances, cannot be expected to deliver services in the way it is contracted to do,” said Mchunu.
Matjhabeng loses 56% of its water due to failing infrastructure, amounting to R324 million worth of water lost per year, according to the latest Auditor-General (AG) report.
“The people of Matjhabeng are faced with a lack of water supply for weeks on end. The water board does not get paid by the municipality and therefore cannot do maintenance. The infrastructure that is in place further deteriorates and water problems will, as a result, increase,” says Michalakis.
“I have asked the premier, Mxolisi Dukwana, to give some indication of how the Free State provincial government will work with the national government to urgently address the situation before Matjhabeng is forced into a full-scale crisis.”
The residents of Riebeeckstad were completely without water for seven weeks. Then, after only three days of water over the weekend, on Monday they were again faced with dry taps.
Michalakis says the water boards should be assisted to effectively hold defaulting clients, the municipalities, to account.
“Residents should not suffer because of political incompetence.”
