This time, the DA has laid a complaint against the cash-strapped municipality which is struggling to pay for its services such as water, and also the salaries of its employees for two months and counting, despite constant promises. The DA Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL), Karabo Khakhau, says for years the party has made countless strides to engage the leadership of the municipality about these issues but nothing ever came from their trying efforts. Khakhau says the municipality has incurred a whopping R400 million debt with the water utility, Bloem Water, over a number of years.

Meanwhile, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), Thabang Kheswa, confirms that indeed the party has laid a complaint with the human rights commission against the municipality.

OFM News previously reported that the Free State High Court slapped the municipality with an adverse order, which saw the municipal account attached by the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu), following failure by the municipality, since 2012, to pay pension fund and other third party contributions.

"The municipality managed to incur a [huge] debt to Bloem Water. The municipality confirmed to the Public Accounts and Finance Portfolio Committee that it amounts to R400 million. This has resulted in the municipality’s bulk water supplier taking a decision to cut its water supply to residents. 

Currently, Bloem Water has cut the municipality’s water supply by 50%, and this means that none of the nine towns (Gariep Dam, Fauresmith, Edenburg, Trompsburg, Reddersburg, Bethulie, Jagersfontein, Philippolis, and Springfontein) in the municipality have an uninterrupted supply of water. Meanwhile, the effect on the ground is much dire," she adds.

Khakhau further adds that the memorandum handed to the SAHRC contains 1 345 signatures from residents across this municipality who petitioned and wish to form part of the complainants against the municipality in any and all litigation processes the Human Rights Commission will undertake on behalf of them.

"Residents demand a 100% water supply reinstatement and an investigation into how the debt to Bloem Water is incurred," Khakhau alludes.

OFM News