Water crisis resurfaces

Amid frustrations resulting from severe water shortages in the Modimolle-Mookgophong areas, Mayor Marlene Van Staden has pleaded with residents to use water sparingly to ease the demand.

Residents in Modimolle have been experiencing a water shortage crisis for a few weeks now, with locals depending largely on tankers to draw water.

Van Staden said the national government’s bulk water supply to the Modimolle-Mookgophong Local Municipality proved inadequate to provide for the daily needs of residents, resulting in lack of
water in most parts of the municipality.

The municipality has also requested the Department of Water and Sanitation to look into the possibility of repairing cracks in both the Donkerpoort and Welgevonden Dams, to prevent unnecessary water wastage, something which had not been attended to.

“Unfortunately, the installation of boreholes has not sufficiently augmented the municipality’s water supply. The region has suffered a major drought and the last time the Donkerpoort Dam was full of water was in March 2014,” Van Staden said.

While delivering his mid-term budget speech, Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni blamed the financial fiasco in Modimolle on weak governance.

“In many cases, like in the Modimolle-Mookgophong municipality, the financial challenges faced by municipalities are a reflection of weaknesses in governance, or even fraud and outright corruption,” Mboweni said.

— The BEAT