Members from the community gathered at the offices of the Gamagara municipality in Kathu on Friday 16 November 2018 to demand an answer from the mayor Mr Edwin Hantise, about the ongoing water crisis affecting mainly the eastern suburbs of Kathu as well as the whole of Olifantshoek.

 

This comes after two months of water disruptions in Kathu and Olifantshoek.

 

While the water shutdowns are the combined effect of a failure in leadership, management and basic maintenance, they are above all due to the municipality’s inability to settle outstanding debt to the value of R14-million, owed to the water board Sedibeng Water.

 

Where the older parts of Kathu are fed by dewatered water from Sishen mine, the eastern suburbs are entirely dependent on water from Sedibeng Water.

 

Sedibeng Water is situated in Bothaville and sources water from the Vaal river.

 

Its operational area includes the Free State, North West and Northern Cape provinces and stretches as far as the of the Namakwa Water Board. This makes Sedibeng Water one of the largest water utilities in the country in terms of the geographical area that it serves.

 

The Vaal Gamagara Water Scheme which feeds the eastern part of Kathu, the Tsantsabane municipal area as well as Olifantshoek forms part of this water board.

 

Meanwhile, allegations of tender fraud have surfaced at Sedibeng Water, contained in two forensic reports identifying the chief executive officer of Sedibeng Water Tradewin Takalani, amongst others, as well as the former Minister of Water and Sanitation Ms Nomvula Mokonyane, containing allegations of fraud, nepotism, bribery and abuse of power, and involve amounts of more than R275-million. The scandal comes as Sedibeng Water is facing a cash crisis. Currently Sedibeng Water is owed R2.6-billion by municipalities, and in turn owes the Department of Water and Sanitation R2-billion, according to the department’s Deputy Director-General, Lindiwe Lusenga. In terms of the Water Services Act, Sedibeng Water has imposed water restrictions which allows it to limit water supplies to defaulting municipalities, such as Gamagara.

 

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape is reiterating its call to the MEC of COGHSTA, Bentley Vass, to urgently address the water crisis at Gamagara municipality. This is according to a media release from Andrew Louw, the DA Premier candidate in the NC. Despite overwhelming evidence, Gamagara municipality, as recently as during the council meeting on Friday 16 November 2018, continues to dismiss Sedibeng Water’s account and flatly denies that the water utility has been imposing water restrictions since September 2018 because of the debt.

 

Mr Louw went on to say that the attempted cover-up by the mayor and the municipal manager is insulting to the local community, especially when it is public knowledge that towns further down Sedibeng’s line have no such supply interruptions, such as Hotazel, Black Rock and the rest of Joe Morolong.

 

“It is thus no surprise that the failing ANC’s chronic lies and a dire lack of communication to the desperate residents of Kathu and its surrounds, have caused tempers of residents to flare,” Mr Louw said.

 

Mr Louw called on the MEC Bentley Vass for the third time, to take action by placing Gamagara municipality under administration.

 

During the demonstration by residents on Friday 16 November 2018, the mayor Mr Edwin Hantise appeared briefly and assured residents that the municipality was working to alleviate the problem and that the supply would be restored. The residents however demanded that the proof of payment to Sedibeng Water must be shown to them and to the DA.

 

Mr Louw said that is increasingly clear that the failing ANC has no idea how to rectify the financial distress that Gamagara municipality currently finds itself in.

 

In the meantime, the DA has been doing what it can to assist the community with a temporary solution by providing at least some water to residents in Kathu via a private borehole at the Bestwood development.

 

The Kathu Gazette approached the communications office of Gamagara for fresh comment, but did not receive any.

DA Communication, Daily Maverick, Business Day Live