On Tuesday 14 March, Dukwana summoned mayors and accounting offices to an urgent meeting in his offices at OR Tambo House in Bloemfontein.

ALSO READ: Free State premier meets with municipalities over water issues

The meeting was to strengthen service delivery within municipalities and foster coordination between municipalities, the provincial government and water entities in line with the District Development Model (DDM).

Dukwana said only through a coordinated approach can the three spheres of government empower each other to bring solutions to diverse challenges. 

“We will not have our communities marching on the streets just to have water. We will not be a government that subjects our people to inhumane living conditions,” Dukwana said.

The meeting between Dukwana, mayors, and accounting officers happened whilst residents from various municipalities – including the Bloemfontein-based Mangaung Metro, Welkom-based Matjhabeng, and Theunissen-based Masilonyana Local Municipalities – continue to be at the receiving end of water issues. Some of these municipalities have been forced to implement planned water-shedding whilst at most water leaks or burst pipes have also played a major role. Some of these municipalities, including the Mangaung Metro, lose a high percentage of water due to leaks, the Water and Sanitation Minister, Senzo Mchunu, said earlier. Mchunu also cited these water leaks are often caused by a lack of maintenance.

During the meeting in Bloemfontein, Dukwana told officials there's a need to ensure that available water is jealously reserved for the benefit of the people, especially with water being a scarce resource.

“According to the Department of Water and Sanitation, some of the major water challenges include leakages and old infrastructure which has not been serviced or maintained for a long time. Criminality has also been cited as one of the main reasons for the unavailability of water in most communities, as rogue elements often steal infrastructure,” he added.

Dukwana also cautioned that the reason for flare-ups after water shortages, was as a result of failure by municipalities to properly communicate with residents. He urged mayors to be bold and courageous in addressing challenges faced by communities.

OFM News