Political parties in the Govan Mbeki Municipality believe the municipality’s failure to pay its full debt for September to Rand Water could be the reason why taps have dried up and why residents of Secunda, Bethal, Kinross, Evander, Leandra, eMbalenhle, eMzinoni and other surrounding towns have been without water for nine days.
However, the executive mayor of Govan Mbeki Municipality (GMM), Nhlakanipho Zuma, said this is not the reason. He said Rand Water would have issued a notice of intent if the utility had planned to throttle GMM.
According to the mayor, GMM paid Rand Water the amount they agreed upon for September. Freedom Front Plus Councillor, Aranda Nel-Buitendag begs to differ.
According to a letter she wrote and delivered to the mayor and the municipal manager, Elliot Maseko, the municipality paid R10 million less than the agreed-upon amount.
“They paid R22m towards their debt to Rand Water on September 24. That is still R10m short of their intended payment of R32m,” said Nel-Buitendag.
This is not the first time that the municipality has missed their repayment target. Nel-Buitendag said in the letter, in July the municipality was supposed to pay R88m, but only managed to come up with R70m.
In August they also short-paid when they only managed to pay R24m instead of the agreed-upon amount of R37m.
“Secunda is the economic backbone of Govan Mbeki Municipality,” said Nel-Buitendag.
“It is shocking to hear that for every R100 spent on water and electricity from Eskom and Rand Water, only R20 is recovered, with a staggering 80% lost to mal-administration or non-payment.
“This alarming trend has contributed to the municipality’s massive debt, reportedly exceeding R5 billion.”
The Freedom Front Plus is concerned that the municipality is violating the basic human rights of all Govan Mbeki municipal residents.
“No prior notice was given and the municipality’s response is inadequate.”
According to the letter, after the Mapleton pump station malfunctioned on September 28, there were no warnings or notifications to residents.
“Information only became available after persistent inquiries. During my inquiry into the water crisis, the accounts office of GMM responded by saying that they were not aware of the issue.
“Saying that they are unaware is not an acceptable excuse for senior officials. Their lack of knowledge indicates poor communication and coordination from the departments.
“Furthermore, poor planning has left residents, hospitals, clinics, dialysis centres, and old age homes without access to reliable water supply.
“This was particularly devastating for dialysis patients relying on life-sustaining treatment, hospital patients requiring hygiene and care, clinic patients seeking medical attention and elderly residents in old age homes needing basic care.”
Nel-Buitendag said they even requested that the municipal manager and MMC of Water and Sanitation arrange water tanks for the dialysis centre.
“The lack of immediate action, specifically to deploy water tankers, indicates that GMM is neglecting its responsibility to help the community and that the community is being held hostage by the directors of GMM in this situation.
The Freedom Front Plus also expressed their concerns about the municipality’s lack of transparency regarding the water scarcity issues.
“It is time for the ruling party administration (the ANC) to take responsibility and ensure that residents receive essential services.
“The municipality has a legal obligation to provide services to all residents. The municipality has consistently failed to honour its repayment agreement with Rand Water, which is a major concern.
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“Rand Water has also expressed its deep concerns about the escalating municipal water debt and water losses in our municipality.
“This lack of accountability and poor financial management can have severe consequences on the community, including interrupted water supply and compromised healthcare.
“The municipality’s high outstanding debt with residents in our area is alarming – amounts range from R50 000 to R40m, with some disputes still unresolved.
“This situation highlights the need for effective debt management and dispute resolution. The revenue enhancement plan is indeed a major concern, as it directly impacts their ability to collect proper revenue and pay off outstanding debts like Eskom and Rand Water.
“With these amounts of debts, it is crucial that the mayor and municipal manager are held accountable for not addressing these issues.
“By addressing these concerns, the municipality can improve its financial stability and provide better services to residents.”
The letter further read that the Freedom Front Plus insisted on an instalment agreement plan and requests urgent feedback on this matter.
The DA also voiced their concerns about this matter. Fiona Pelman, DA councillor, said the DA will escalate the ongoing water crisis to the council and compel the relevant department to take responsibility and provide water to residents.
Pelman said: “The truth of the matter is that the municipality is failing in the provision of water and sanitation to communities in a sustainable manner.
“For over a month now, residents in this area have been subjected to water shortages that are caused by disruptions from Rand Water.
“It cannot be business as usual, while residents are confronted with empty water taps on a daily basis.
“Water is a basic and fundamental human right that is entrenched in the constitution of this country, yet Secunda has been without water for the past nine days.
“It must be noted that prolonged water outages in Govan Mbeki have posed a serious challenge to the availability of water at the reservoirs and the municipality’s management of its water infrastructure.
“The incompetence of the current ANC administration and mismanagement of money has brought nothing but suffering and despair to our communities.
“There is a growing frustration and a lack of confidence in the municipality’s ability to ensure a consistent water supply. It is crucial to address these concerns promptly and transparently.”
