‘Empty promises’ for Kampersrus residents

The meeting, which was held at Mariepskop Primary School, saw the mayor accompanied by ward two councillor, Pencil Letebele, PR councillors Pieter Gerber and Portia Moropane, the municipal manager, Nankie Hoaeane and officials from both Maruleng and Mopani municipalities. Gerber raised a question on whether the municipality would finish the remaining 2% of a water project which was said to be 98% completed in 2017, according to the Mopani Municipality.

“Nowhere in the Mopani IDP is it stated that the water project in Kampersrus is part of the budget. I also stated that according to the Distribution of Revenue Act, no project can be taken off the IDP list unless it was either completed or deregistered which neither happened with the water project,” said Gerber. “The senior manager of water and sanitation in Mopani, Paradise Shilowa said they are in communication with Eskom concerning the correct transformer for the purification plant and the pump station. He assured us that by the end of June this year, the project will be up and running,” Gerber said.

He added that the provincial leader and MPL of the party, Marcelle Maritz, also attended the meeting and said she would return by the said date to inspect if the project is indeed up and running. “We were also promised that in two weeks, the borehole would be replaced and functioning, which, had it been the case, we will have two boreholes up and running. The people of Kampersrus deserve better than the ANC,” he added. DA PR councillor, Portia Moropane said the meeting was “nothing but empty promises by the municipality”.

Also read: Residents frustrated by water shortages

“Kampersrus residents are tired of these empty promises they have been given for many years. The DA commits itself to lay charges against the municipality at the South African Human Rights Commission, as water is a basic need that Kampersrus residents have been denied. We will start a petition to make sure that the municipality is held accountable for its mistakes, as this has been going on for a long time. Residents want the service delivery they deserve, not empty promises,” she said. The waste collection was also highlighted during the discussion, the municipality apologised and said refusing would forthwith be collected from households and not from a central point.

It was also resolved that speed humps will be built on the internal road exclusively near the school. “The municipality will liaise with the provincial roads agency with regard to the matter,” said the mayor. He said the water crisis that has been plaguing the town for years will be resolved by the end of June. Kampersrus is a small town situated just outside Hoedspruit. A bulk sewage treatment plant and water supply project, the Kampersrus Water Supply and Sewerage Scheme commenced in 2010. “The project is indicated as 98% complete in reports since 2017, but the correct size transformer is still needed.

As soon as it is installed, the scheme will receive water from the Blyde Dam. At present, Kampersrusre relies on two boreholes, Soetdoring and Boekenhout, for water supply. Recently, the MDM replaced the pump at the Soetdoring borehole which left parts of Kampersrus without water. The Boekenhout pump station’s pump broke down four months ago and will be replaced within the next two weeks as well,” the mayor said.