This has also been exacerbated by the network infrastructure tampering or damage by thieves and criminals. According to the mayor of the district, Khumalo Molefe, its municipal infrastructure has also been attacked by criminals in the past few weeks. 

Molefe has further revealed that most of their water pump stations depend on power supply from Eskom which enables them to pump water to residents. Molefe says this has since impaired their ability to supply residents with water. The district mayor has also revealed that his municipality is faced with a shortage of diesel supply.

“Ngaka Modiri Molema as a whole is a poor district and we are experiencing low water revenue collection. This has since affected our water services and secondly, what has also affected our water service delivery, is Eskom's repeated load-shedding it has since adversely affected us because most of our pumps use electricity to pump water to residents. The constant load-shedding affects our ability to fill up our reservoir to a satisfactorily level. 

"We also have a third problem which relates to diesel supply. In our rural villages, where we usually utilise diesel to provide services, we now have a shortage of diesel as per the rest of the country. But we have since acquired a considerable amount of diesel and will work around the clock to make sure that we supply services to our people in the rural areas. However we are busy working with the police to see to it that criminals who are busy damaging our network infrastructure are apprehended and face the full might of the law,”

Khumalo says the municipality has entered into serious negotiations with the Department of Water and Sanitation, including the Magalies Water Board, to address the water supply challenges in the municipality. He has since appealed to residents affected by the water service delivery challenges to get in contact with the municipality to alert them of the aforementioned challenges.

“Residents can contact our municipality’s call centre on 08 000 666 36 and officials will then alert the municipality’s water unit,” Molefe adds.

In September 2021, the minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, and his deputy, David Mahlobo, accompanied by Premier Bushy Maape, visited North West to inspect the Brits Water Waste Treatment Plant in the Madibeng Local Municipality.

ALSO READ: Water and Sanitation minister now in North West

The province has since previously vowed to address issues of water supply across the province. In 2019, the then MEC for Local Government and Human Settlements, Motlalepula Rosho, together with other stakeholders, convened the Provincial Water Summit to address issues that include maintenance of water and sanitation infrastructure.

ALSO READ: NW MEC targets water and infrastructure issues

In March this year, whilst responding to a parliamentary question from the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Minister Mchunu revealed that the sanitation access services in North West were less than 68.8%, while the Free State stood at 82.3%, and the Northern Cape at 83.9%. He said the North West is one of the provinces that is below the national average of 82.1% when it comes to issues of sanitation access services.

ALSO READ: Central SA provinces amongst those experiencing water, sanitation difficulties

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