Despite the strides made, Chairperson of the Committees’ Oversight and Intergovernmental Relations in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), Jomo Nyambi, cautions the state of service delivery in the municipality is not where it is supposed to be. A group of delegates from the NCOP will be in Fauresmith, Bethulie, Jagersfontein and Trompsburg this week to ascertain where service delivery in the embattled municipality stands, and if indeed those reported improvements can be seen on the ground.

He says the team going to Kopanong will speak to residents to find out when some of these improvements were carried out, and determine if they are seeing the difference in their lives.

Nyambi in his report says the provision of back-up water supply on the greater Xhariep District is a problem. “In this regard, the Infrastructure Chief Directorate has committed to providing boreholes. There is no long-term solution to the water interruptions and debt owed to Bloem Water by the Xhariep District Municipality as yet,” says Nyambi.

This week's oversight visit comes after services and school activities came to a grinding halt in Jagersfontein in mid-May as unrest intensified over the water interruptions imposed by Bloem Water last year because of non-payment. Municipal spokesperson, Solomzi Phama, acknowledged that the interruptions had resulted in a minimum supply of water in some areas and a total lack of water in areas that were experiencing supply issues before, notably the uphill area. The crisis caught the attention of Free State Premier, Sisi Ntombela, who descended to the mining town on June 20, where she promised the provincial government would assist the municipality in settling a part of its debt to Bloem Water. In the wake of her visit and announcement, questions were raised as to whether Kopanong’s debt was ever settled with residents telling OFM News at one stage that water supply remained the same. In July, the municipality installed section valves in the mining town to ensure that those living in problem areas uphill were able to receive an adequate water supply.

OFM News