District well on way to pay R1bn debt
Mopani District Municipality (MDM) Mayor Pule Shayi says the municipality is making progress in repaying a R1 billion debt to the Department of Water and Sanitation and Lepelle Northern Water.
According to Shayi, MDM has been able to bring the debt owed to the two departments down to about R400m. Shayi delivered the State of the District Address at Tivumbeni Multi-Purpose Centre in Nkowankowa on Wednesday morning. The debt in the past three years, has harmed the supply of water in municipalities such as the Greater Letaba and BaPhalaborwa.
He said MDM has signed repayment agreements with local municipalities and such monies will be ring-fenced in separate accounts and will be useful in repaying their debts. “For this financial year, we have positively discounted R827m from unfunded status as part of our commitment to this complex journey. “We have improved our liquidity status, and that would mean we can meet our current obligations.”
Also read: Mopani District bulk water projects questioned
The mayor said they have appointed local municipalities to be operational water providers, which means that when a pipe burst or sewage spills, the local municipality must repair it. Only if they fail to fix it, MDM as the as the water authority will step in. He also touched on the work they are doing in providing clean water to the people of Mopani.
He said phase 1 of the Giyani Water Bulk Project is almost complete and many villages in Giyani are already above 90% completion, including Mhlaba Willem, Muyexe Contract B, Mahlathi, Homu 14A and 14B, Mapayeni Contract B, Xikukwani Contract A and C, Ngove Contract B, Mageva Contract B, Maphata, Bambeni, Dzingidzingi, and Thomo Contract B.
Also read: Mopani District Municipality owes GTM R280 million
The mayor concluded by acknowledging achievers who are flying the Mopani flag up high. He congratulated Beka Ntsanwisi, founder of Vakhegula Vakhegula grannies’ soccer team, Confidence Moati who recently represented South Africa in table tennis in Botswana, Musa Rikhotso from Giyani who participated in the Brics Games in Russia and athlete Prudence Sekgodisho from Greater Letaba for her first win at a Diamond League meet. The event was attended by mayors from the five municipalities in the Mopani district, traditional leaders, members of the public and other stakeholders.
