Central SA
Free State municipality's water debt increased by almost R100m─── LUCKY NKUYANE 14:18 Wed, 13 Jul 2022
A struggling Free State municipality has incurred an increase of almost 25% in its water debt to the water utility Bloem Water.
The Trompsburg-based Kopanong Local Municipality has confirmed that its debt to the water utility has since June 2020 risen from R400 million to almost R500 million. The municipal spokesperson Solomzi Phama says the municipality is facing serious challenges of low revenue collection whilst it sits with a high number of indigent people and high figures of unemployment. He says the debt to the water utility is a historic one but strides have been made by the municipality to attend to all service delivery matters, including servicing their debt accounts with various service providers.
ALSO READ: Mangaung owes Bloem Water more than a billion
Meanwhile, Bloem Water’s Maruping Rapudungoane confirmed this debt to OFM News and that the 30% water supply cuts have been there since before 2020.
In October 2021, the DA in the province - led by the Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL), Karabo Khakhau - complained to the Human Rights Commission (HRC) after residents struggled with water for a period of time, following a water cut supply by Bloem Water.
ALSO READ: Cash-strapped FS municipality reported to SAHRC
According to the Free State's South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) spokesperson, Thabang Kheswa, there are developments and the investigation is continuing.
ALSO READ: Free State HRC still probing troubled municipality
In April 2022 the Water and Sanitation minister Senzo Mchunu said issues of water and sanitation across struggling municipalities in the Free State will soon be a thing of the past and announced his department’s plans.
ALSO READ: Free State water and sanitation issues receive national government attention
Mchunu announced during the presidential Imbizo in Mangaung that the department will take over in the Welkom-based Matjhabeng, Qwaqwa-based Maluti-A-Phofung, and Trompsburg-based Kopanong Local municipalities.
In his address, he promised that the department will work on the construction of new pipelines worth at least R500 million, aimed at supplying residents with water.
The move by the department followed after the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) conducted a five-day oversight visit to the province.
