R143m down the drain?

Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s R143 million drought relief project in Limpopo has not yet delivered water five months after the deadline, the Sekhukhune community claims.

The project was commissioned by the minister in Moutse in February last year to provide clean water to more than 200,000 people.

Residents had hoped the project would also help to curb escalating Covid-19 infections.

Ten trucks were delivered to transport water to fill the tanks between March and October. However, they are gathering dust at the Sekhukhune district municipal offices in Groblersdal.

The municipality confirmed on Thursday the new trucks purchased for the project had not moved since delivery.

“We are expecting 20 trucks from department of water and sanitation and the department has since transferred 10 of them.

“They are not fully operational due to outstanding licensing and registration, which our fleet unit is busy with,” Sekhukhune district municipality spokesman Isaac Mahlakwane said.

Speaking on 14 February last year at the Bantwane Tribal Authority in Moutse, Sisulu said the R143 million injection was to purchase tanks to store water, drill new boreholes and refurbish old ones.

The minister also handed over 20 JoJo tanks and said more were on the way.

She said she had appointed Lepelle Northern Water, a state-owned water utility, to implement the project. But it seems since the
appointment, the lives of Moutse residents have not changed at all.

“This government is failing us. It is either people steal the money meant to change our lives for the better, or they simply fail to complete the projects and embezzle the money.

“We will meet them at the polls during the upcoming local government elections. Our message to them is that we are no longer the same as yesterday. We were blind yesterday but now we can see,” said Nixon Radil of Maswikaneng Section in Ntwane.

Another resident, Thabo Mogale, said the failing project meant the community had to fetch water from the Koto, Marapong, Boditsi and Mohlabetsi rivers.

“Those with money pay R250 to fill up a 250 litre JoJo tank from the well-off with boreholes.”

“Most of the water tanks have already been stolen while others have burst. Some families have erected stands without tanks
while others have been waiting for the allocation since March last year,” said Mogale.

On Thursday, the Lepelle Northern Water Board claimed the project “was 77.5% complete” and 1,333 water tanks had been delivered to the site.

The utility denied residents’ claims, saying water was being delivered to tanks, operated by the Sekhukhune district
municipality.

“We have appointed four service providers for supply and delivery of water tankers,” said Lepelle Northern Water spokeswoman Yolande Nel.

Nel said the completion date proposed by the service provider was June this year. “This is under review as Lepelle Northern Water is exploring approaches to fast-track the project.”

But Sekhukhune municipality yesterday refuted Lepelle’s claims it was delivering water to tanks.

“There is no way we can deliver water to the tanks because the project has not yet been officially handed over to us,” said Mahlakwana.

– news@citizen.co.za

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