Broke municipality’s R4m monthly water tanker bill

A Limpopo construction company is pocketing nearly R4 million every month from the Sekhukhune district municipality in Groblersdal, for transporting water from De Hoop Dam to the Jane-Furse hospital.

This in spite of the fact that the institution is currently faced with serious financial constraints, after thieves somehow managed to make R19 million disappear from the municipality’s coffers two years ago.

The company, Ngoato le Nareadi Construction was allegedly appointed by the municipality in August 2019 to tanker clean water to the Jane Furse hospital for 12 months. The company’s contract will lapse this month, prompting opposition parties, the Bolsheviks and the Democratic Alliance to try to halt the renewal thereof.

Despite a total of 28 mining houses in the region, Sekhukhune is regarded as one of the poorest regions in the country. The region is also currently in the midst of a drought that hampers economic developments.

In 2002, former president Thabo Mbeki identified the region as a nodal point of development where the government must unleash optimal resources to swell the economy. The construction of De Hoop Dam, costing the government a total of R3.4 billion was also commissioned after the visit by the former president and the dam was completed in 2014. Now the DA and the Bolsheviks accuse the municipality of failing to reticulate the water from the dam to feed the surrounding villages and the hospital.

DA caucus council leader Solomon Maila said: “Instead of reticulating water from the dam, the municipality opts to spend millions of rands paying this company. We are aware that this project has been used by some as their cash-cow, to milk the coffers of the municipality dry.”

Maila said the DA was against the move to extend the contract.

“This is a daylight robbery that amounts to shameless looting of the public purse by those with questionable relationships with company owners,” said Maila.

The Bolsheviks political party was equally perturbed about the move to extend the company’s contract.

Bolsheviks’ leader Seun Mogotji said: “This is just a fundraising program called ‘Stokvel’ lead by selfish and self-centred politicians in order to steal municipal money and line-up their pockets.

“Ironically, in Moutse, with a population of over 400,000 people, Minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s department cost us nearly R8 million for tankering water in 20 trucks for four months. But now in Sekhukhune, four trucks are costing the municipality R20 million for tinkering water for six months. What madness.”

Mogotji said municipal management knew very well that the contract was going to lapse, but did nothing to plan ahead. He said the municipality must seek assistance from the department of water affairs to provide them with two trucks that would fetch water from the municipal source to the hospital in an effort to save money.”

Company director, Abram Mogaladi said the company was looking forward to the renewal of the contract.

“If extended, the municipality would be doing the right thing because we have a good track record in this business. We have been doing a sterling job for the municipality in the past 12 months and we are charging them at a fair rate. We have our own boreholes and one municipal source in which we fetch water to the hospital on a daily basis. Statistics will always speak for themselves because quenching thirst is our pride and delivering good and quality services to our clients is our mission,” said Mogaladi.

Municipal spokesperson, Moloko Moloto confirmed that the council had approved the extension of the contract.

“The council has given the company another six months to continue with the project and we have set aside R20 million budget for the extended period,” said Moloto.

– alexm@citizen.co.za