Kopanong spokesperson, Solomzi Phama, confirms they have reached a consensus with the Free State-based water board on the R390 million debt, but says he cannot comment on the specifics of the agreement until November 2020.

The agreement between the respective parties was, according to the spokesperson, finalised in the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein last week. It came on the back of water interruptions imposed by Bloem Water, which at that staged informed media that they have no other choice because the water board is on the brink of collapse due to the money it is owed for services rendered by Kopanong, Mantsopa, and the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality. Collectively, the debt amounts to over R 1 billion.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the province has weighed in on the matter this weekend, calling on the MEC of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) in the Free State, Thembeni Nxangisa, to address the mammoth debt, by all three culprits. 

The DA’s youngest Member of the Free State Legislature (MPL), Karabo Khakhau, says in a statement it is appalling that Kopanong residents and local municipalities in the Xhariep District are still grappling with access to water amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. Khakhau says the time has come for Nxangisa to intervene and address the water crisis faced by these communities. "This is incredibly alarming considering that the world is faced with a Covid-19 pandemic that requires residents to wash their hands regularly," she highlighted.

This wasn’t the first time that Kopanong residents had to endure water shedding. In March, Bloem Water reduced water supply by 60% to 70%. Phama, maintained at the time that they are continuing to meet their monthly payment plans with the water board and are in conversations with them regarding the possibility of ending the restrictions so that there is 100% water supply.

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