The meeting to be held at Sentraal High School’s Eeufees Hall at 18:00 will focus on the metro’s refuse removal backlog and escalating debt to Bloem Water, amongst others. The delay in the scheduled collection of refuse in Bloemfontein came under public scrutiny recently with the DA, in particular, claiming the delays could have devastating health consequences for residents in the Free State capital and surrounding Botshabelo and Thaba’ Nchu areas.

The metro’s spokesperson, Qondile Khedama, told OFM News previously the metro is on top of the situation with the Solid Waste Directorate putting in extra resources (personnel and fleet) to attend to the refuse collection backlog that was caused as a result of staff shortages.

To curb the ongoing backlog, residents are being encouraged via social media platforms to recycle their waste and distribute their refuse material consciously in order to reduce “the amount of waste that the Metro needs to pick up and dump at landfills by up to 70%,” says the Mangaung Metro Info Page post.

Meanwhile, the metro’s officials are battling a leak reported on the mainline between De Hoek and Uitkyk Reservoirs. Khedama says in a statement the leak is expected to be repaired by Wednesday, 20 November. DA Councillor, Rossouw Botes, says the Universitas suburb is already without water. Khedama says water tankers will be supplied, if necessary.

This comes on the back of Mangaung being downgraded by Moody’s three months ago. The credit rating agency moved Mangaung’s rating down three notches from Ba3 – which meant the municipality was still likely to fulfil its obligations – to B3, which means there is now a high risk it cannot meet its obligations. Both levels are at junk status.

OFM News