Central SA
Kopanong only Free Sate municipality with Bloem Water restriction─── LUCKY NKUYANE 10:10 Sat, 20 May 2023
The troubled Trompsburg-based Kopanong Local Municipality in the Free State remains the only municipality in the province under water restriction due to its huge debt running into millions of rands.
The municipality has been restricted with a 30% water supply from Bloem Water for at least three years. The municipality owes the water board close to R600 million for services rendered.
The debt to Bloem Water has gradually increased. In 2020 the municipality owed Bloem Water over R300 million. The debt grew in 2021 to over R400 million and in 2022, the debt further increased to over R500 million.
Kopanong DA councilor, Richard van Wyk, said the municipality now owes Bloem Water almost R600 million. He said this even led to the disruption of service delivery at the ailing municipality.
Van Wyk said the municipality owes Bloem Water R597 million, and failure to meet payments will result in disrupted operations.
The heavily indebted municipality is struggling with its financial flow and revenue collection. It has a bill of R12.2 million when it can only collect a mere R2.5 million from revenue.
ALSO READ: Free State municipality's bill is R12.2m but it collects R2.5m
It also owes its workers' pension fund R25 million. Earlier, deputy president Paul Mashatile visited the area and announced that there were discussions with the water board to have the restrictions lifted.
Mashatile also announced that the municipality would be put under Section 139 administration but a category is yet to be announced. The municipality has had difficulty paying its workers in the past, citing cash flow issues.
In 2021, the DA reported and laid a complaint against the municipality with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).
ALSO READ: Cash-strapped FS municipality reported to SAHRC
A year later the SAHRC spokesperson, Thabang Kheswa, told OFM News that the probe into the alleged water crisis was continuing.
ALSO READ: Free State HRC still probing troubled municipality
OFM News previously reported that the Free State High Court once slapped the municipality with an adverse order, which saw the municipal account attached by the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu), following the failure by the municipality, since 2012, to pay pension fund and other third party contributions.
