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EFF raises questions over North West water crisis

───   KATLEHO MORAPELA 10:58 Mon, 11 Nov 2019

EFF raises questions over North West water crisis | News Article

Upgrades at the Mmabatho Water Treatment Works are expected to be completed in early 2020 to assist with the water crisis experienced in the North West.


This is according to the Department of Human Settlements, Water, and Sanitation. In a written reply to the EFF’s MP Mothusi Montwedi, Minister Lindiwe Sisulu confirms they have noted several water and sanitation challenges faced in the province and are working with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to address them. This includes refurbishing existing operational boreholes and digging new ones, optimising wastewater bulk infrastructures, and availing funds for the upgrade of Mahikeng’s water infrastructure. Although Sisulu cannot confirm whether Mahikeng will soon be declared a disaster-stricken city due to the water crisis faced by communities, schools, hospitals, and businesses, she confirms that funds have been made available through the Water Service Infrastructure Grant (WSIG) to assist villages located in the outskirts of Mahikeng affected by drought.

She adds that only the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, is empowered under Section 3 of the Disaster Management, Act (No. 57 of 2002), to declare a national disaster in the provinces.

The water crisis faced in the province came under much scrutiny when money intended for the provision of bulk water services was illegally invested by some municipalities in the now liquidated VBS Mutual Bank.

Auditor-General Kimi Makwetu, in his latest 2017/18 local government audit outcomes report, outlined that the R1.6 billion loss of investments made with the VBS Mutual Bank significantly weakened the financial position of municipalities in the North West, leading to many failing to provide services to communities.

This, after the Mahikeng Local Municipality invested R83 million, of which R23 million was from the municipal infrastructure grant and R60 million from the municipal equitable share. This was an overpayment from the national Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. The Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District municipality invested R150 million, of which R100 million was from the regional infrastructure grant, R25 million from the equitable share-free basic services and R25 million from the building fund. The Moretele Local Municipality invested R50 million from the 2017/2018 water services infrastructure grant.

During the State of the Province Address in August, Premier Job Mokgoro announced that the North West is committed to providing clean adequate water to all its people and has allocated more funds for various water projects to municipalities in addition to the water services infrastructure grants they got.

Meanwhile, Sisulu says her department, through the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG), has availed funds for the upgrades of Mahikeng’s water infrastructure and that other interventions include the refurbishment of six boreholes situated at the Molopo Eye and Grootfontein compartment, which is another source of water supply to the Mahikeng area.


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