This comes as the metro’s water service provider, Bloem Water announced that all towns in the metro would experience reduced water supply owing to the metro’s alleged failure to comply with a payment agreement. The spokesperson for the water board, Kido Thoabala, says it was previously agreed during the mediation process by National Treasury that the metro would pay an outstanding debt for a period of 12 months from May 2019 and Bloem Water would write off the interest on the debt, but the municipality has even failed to comply by this. However, retorting against these claims by the water board, municipal spokesperson, Qondile Khedama says it is not true that the metro owes the water board money on this month’s water bill as it last week paid R29,2 million to Bloem Water. Instead, Khedama says the service provider is the one that reneged on an agreement currently in place and if stopping the water restrictions, which were effective from Monday, means going to court urgently, then this is the route the metro will resort to.

Khedama told OFM News that a proposal of the payment plan was submitted to Bloem Water, which is an agreement that was made during mediations with National Treasury earlier this month, however, instead of keeping its part of the agreement as per the meeting that took place on 4 July 2019, Bloem Water ignored the plan and instead resorted to implementing these water restrictions. The spokesperson further goes on to state that the metro will do everything in its power in making sure that there is no interruption in the water supply but remains committed to finding a lasting solution to the conflict.

One of the matters currently causing contention between the two entities relates to the drought tariff charges that the water board charged the metro between February and June this year. While Khedama admits that this is one of many yet to be resolved, he explains that this particular issue is one that has caused tension between the two organisations for months on end as the metro believes that it was overcharged on the drought tariff charges and that, in fact, the water board owes the metro some money. Khedama has previously also threatened legal action against the water board with regards to this matter and in his latest statements, said that in a meeting with National Treasury, it was resolved that the Department of Water and Sanitation would need to provide clarity on the accuracy of the charges to the metro, before the metro effects any payment on those charges under dispute.

OFM News