On Tuesday 05 February 2019, the community of Olifantshoek embarked on a public demonstration to display their anger at not having had water supply for close on a month.
The community vented their anger by placing stones in the main road and burning tyres. They went on to block the entrance to the town from the Upington side. Shops and businesses in the centre of town situated around the main street were forced to close their doors.
Spokesperson for the Gamagara local municipality, Kamogelo Semamai, explained the water situation in Olifantshoek to the Kathu Gazette.
According to Mr Semamai, the only water source or supplier in Olifantshoek is Sedibeng Water. Gamagara has two reservoirs there supplied by Sedibeng Water. It is quite unfortunate that over the past few weeks, Sedibeng Water had not been pumping sufficiently to capacitate both reservoirs. This matter was raised with the management of Sedibeng by Gamagara’s Head of Administration and the Mayor. Therefore, the challenge that exists in Olifantshoek is water supply by Sedibeng Water.
Mr Semamai went on to explain that Gamagara municipality is engaging with their stakeholders to supply water tankers in the area as a temporary measure for basic use by their consumers. To this effect, Gamagara has had a successful meeting with close to eleven stakeholders and some confirmed immediately to intervene and work with the municipality to find solutions to the problem – both short and long terms.
Gamagara’s technicians at the water unit have been deployed to Olifantshoek to constantly monitor and assess the situation, to identify if there are any possible technical errors and to confirm and monitor whether Sedibeng is pumping water or not.
At the moment Olifantshoek is Gamagara’s biggest headache as a result of Sedibeng Water being the sole water supplier. In other areas Gamagara has alternative supplies in the form of traditional boreholes, the mines which supply water as well as other suppliers like Bestwood. Therefore, in order for the municipality to resolve this issue permanently, they have commissioned a study for a possible additional water source in the area and they are being updated about that report, as close to six boreholes have been identified in the area.
The municipality is fully aware of the water challenges in Olifanthoek and some parts of ward 6 in Siyathemba (Kathu), however they would not allow space for political parties to use it for cheap political point scoring and political rhetoric. Gamagara remains committed to find permanent solutions to all these problems or any infrastructure-related problems in the municipality, concluded Mr Semamai.
The Municipal Manager of Gamagara local municipality, Protea Leserwane, added to the query by the Kathu Gazette stating that it is true that Gamagara municipality owes Sedibeng Water, but that the municipality is paying Sedibeng Water the current account.
Mr Leserwane referred to the Bestwood boreholes issue and said that it had nothing to do with the Gamagara municipality as it involves a water use licence that belongs to Old Mutual. Gamagara has been engaging with Old Mutual on the possibility of having rights to use the water from Bestwood. Gamagara has held three meetings with Old Mutual since last year and discussions are at an advanced level.
Both Messrs Leserwane and Semamai did not hesitate to provide the Kathu Gazette with documents from Sedibeng Water addressing the water problem experienced in the Vaal Gamagara water supply scheme. According to Sedibeng Water, the scheme was designed to carry a capacity of 20-million m3/a whereas the demand exceeds the capacity by 5-million m3/a. The current pipeline can only deliver the 20-million m3/a and is also at the end of its useful life. Any additional water cannot be accommodated and thus the whole scheme needs to be upgraded and refurbished.
The Extension of Vaal Gamagara Water Scheme project was launched in 2016 by the then Minister of Water and Sanitation Ms Nomvula Mokonyane. Construction of pipelines for the upgrade of the Vaal Gamagara Regional Water Scheme from Roscoe to Black Rock is underway, however it is not clear how it is intended to benefit Olifantshoek. The Kathu Gazette posed this question to Sedibeng Water and also requested confirmation of payments made to Sedibeng Water.
because of the many protestors thronging outside, the situation later developed into a desperate situation.
Olifantshoek water crisis reaches breakpoint.
