Minister of Cooperative governance and Traditional Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. Picture: Jacques Nelles
Eskom has announced that it will be cutting power in Mangaung municipality in the Free State from 6am to 11pm, beginning on December 3.
In addition to this, the Democratic Alliance (DA) saids water supply to Mangaung’s reservoirs had been restricted and the taps in Bloemfontein’s northern suburbs “might run dry by the weekend”.
The party has reacted by accusing Minister of Cooperative Governance Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma of failing to do her job in tackling the municipality’s sizeable municipal debt.
In a statement, the party details what these debts are; Centlec, a municipal entity responsible for electricity reticulation in Mangaung and surrounding areas, owes Eskom about R100 million, and Mangaung owes its bulk water supplier Bloemwater about R776 million.
On top of this, the DA alleges that Mangaung misappropriated R349 million in funds from conditional grants dished out by national government.
READ MORE: Eskom threatens to cut power to Bloemfontein and other debt-ridden FS towns
The party’s MP Cilliers Brink wrote to the minister on Wednesday to let them know about the crisis. He now accuses her of “wringing her hands” and says the DA is “willing to meet with Dr Dlamini-Zuma to discuss a clear, coherent, and consistent approach to tackling the problem of municipal debts to Eskom and water boards”.
“This requires her to show some urgency and resolve in doing her job,” Brink added.
“The minister knows that the provincial government in Bloemfontein, the fiefdom of ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule, is even more dysfunctional than Mangaung. It does not have the financial and institutional resources to place Manguang under administration and solve its cashflow problem,” said Brink.
“The least the minister can do is to demonstrate a sense of urgency, fly to Bloemfontein, meet with the municipality and the provincial government, and insist that a set of arrangements be put in place to increase Mangaung’s cash flow. She should also broker a new payment arrangement between Mangaung and its water and electricity providers.”
Dlamini-Zuma’s spokesperson had not been reached at the time of publication and her response will be added if and when it is received.
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