Rand Water threatens Merafong with further water cuts
Rand Water says it will cut Merafong's water supply even more if our municipality does not honour their payment agreements.
Rand Water issued a notice in which it warned of an extra water cut to Merafong due to the fact that it is owing them a huge amount of money.
Rand Water says that the Merafong City Local Municipality owes them a total of R846 298 900, of which R801 013 130 is overdue. Our current account is also more than R45 million.
The bulk water noted that Merafong is one of the municipalies with huge escalating debts and who do not honour their water purchase agreements. This is putting Rand Water’s ability to deliver services at risk as it does not get money from the national government but has to survive on the money municipalities pay them for the water they supply.
The other Gauteng municipalities on their list are the Emfuleni Local Municipality (which owes Rand Water more than R945 million), the Lesedi Local Municipality (which owed Rand Water more than R52 million) and our neighbours, the Rand West City Local Municipality in Randfontein and Westonaria (which owes Rand Water more than R546 million).
Because of this Rand Water warns that it will curb Merafong’s water flow with another 20 per cent on 25 March if the municipality fails to pay their overdue account or enter into an amicable payment agreement.
As many areas around Merafong are already experiencing water shortages, this will lead to even more households without water.
The Merafong Ratepayers Association has already indicated that it plans to take Rand Water or the municipality to the High Court to try to force them to deliver basic water to residents.
Merafong’s current refusal to cooperate with Rand Water is putting us in a similar situation as the Ngwathe Local Municipality with serves Parys in the Free State. Although this municipality only owes Rand Water around R66 million, Rand Water has been curbing their water supply on an off for more than a year.
