According to the Bloemfontein-based Mangaung Metro Municipality’s spokesperson, Qondile Khedama, residents of Botshabelo and Thaba Nchu will be affected by possible water cuts.

He says the water cuts are due to planned maintenance. The planned interruption will occur at midnight and water will be supplied to residents on Thursday. Qondile says the metro warns and cautions schools, businesses and consumers to make necessary arrangements to avoid the effects of the water cuts. However, water tankers will be placed at strategic points during the interruption.

“Residents of Botshabelo and Thaba Nchu are hereby informed that Bloem Water will undertake maintenance of the Rustfontein/Lesaka and Rustfontein/Lieuwkop system from 23H59 on Wednesday 17 August 2022 for a period of 24 hours. This forms part of Bloem Water’s scheduled winter maintenance programme. This is an operational programme with the purpose of ensuring that we always provide quality water to the community of Mangaung. During this operation, there could be shutdowns and restricted water supply to communities,” he adds.

The metro has since apologised to affected residents for any inconvenience this would cause.

The ailing metro has previously been criticised by angry residents for the lack of water service delivery. 

During President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Imbizo in Bloemfontein, Water and Sanitation minister, Senzo Mchunu, said that the metro has been losing over 40% of its water to water pipe leakages. This after OFM News reported that his department had planned to take over the two portfolios of Water and Sanitation in at least three Free State municipalities.

ALSO READ: 'Mangaung loses 46% of its water due to leakages'

A few months later, the Auditor-General (AG), Tsakani Maluleke, also mentioned in her report that the metro failed to properly maintain its infrastructure. Maluleke said the metro spent less than 2% of its infrastructure budget on repairs and maintenance.

ALSO READ: AG exposes Mangaung’s failed infrastructure maintenance

OFM News