Ntombela and the rest of the MECs are expected to engage community members and local contractors as well as to visit several key projects in the area. Her outreach programme to the area comes just weeks after members of opposition parties in the Free State Legislature lambasted her and the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, Thembeni Nxangisa, over a lack of service delivery in the area.

Members of the DA, EFF and Freedom Front Plus said it is appalling that residents in the area are left with dry taps, inadequate sanitation, and other basic municipal services. The DA’s MPL Leona Kleynhans said the municipality, which is nearly R4 billion indebted to Eskom and nearly R3 billion indebted to its water board, has for years left residents to suffer from lack of water supply and there is a high need to hold them accountable. She added that “in other areas residents have to dig holes themselves to find water, or get water from the natural springs in the area which are also used by animals”.

Ntombela is during her engagement with residents expected to outline her plans to address the water crisis issue and many others.

The Water and Sanitation Department in the province has meanwhile urged residents in Malutu-A-Phofung Municipality to boil water before drinking it.

The Department confirmed the municipality is facing severe water challenges due to decreased water levels at the Fika Patso Dam and this has “forced the turbidity levels to a maximum which in turn makes it a requirement for water to be boiled before consumption as a precautionary measure”.

The DA has on the other hand further raised questions about boreholes project sites in the areas and called on Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to investigate unaccounted million for boreholes that were supposed to be drilled years ago in Qwaqwa.

OFM News