More than a month after the opposition of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) handed over a memorandum containing a list of water-related challenges and possible solutions, they feel there has not been a sound reply to their concerns.  

In a written answer from the office of the Minister in the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele, it is stated that the Office of the Premier has informed the DA Councillor, Rossouw Botes, that the issue of water provision will be regarded as resolved on the Presidential Hotline System – a system which deals with all Service Delivery related issues. However, it is raised in the written answer that the Presidency will investigate the issue of non-payment by the municipality to Bloem Water, as non-payment may lead to water interruptions.  

Botes says according to the Constitution, everyone in the country has the right to clean water, if the people of the province do not get water at all, the provincial government would have violated the Constitution. Their plea at the moment is that the people of the Free State get quality water that is not interrupted, – as it is their (the community's) right. “For the first time in a long time, we are sitting with full dams that provide water to Mangaung, however, some areas still do not have water or they remain without clean water,” he adds. 

Botes explains that the issue seems to be that it takes time to extract water from the dams to the reservoirs, sometimes purchasing the chemicals to clean the water in order to ensure it is safe for human consumption, is also a problem.

Currently, businesses in the Bloemfontein CBD are without water to enable workers to repair a burst pipe in St. Andrews Street. However, the spokesperson for the Mangaung Metro Municipality, Qondile Khedama, says that water is expected to be restored by 13:00 on Wednesday.

ALSO READ: List of water-related challenges, solutions handed over

The Memorandum in question was accepted by the chief of staff in the Premier’s Office, Manko Buffel, as the provincial Premier, Sisi Ntombela, was at a Jagersfontein media briefing at the time. Buffel stated she is confident that Ntombela and the Executive Committee will go over the memorandum and reply soon. 

At the handover of the memorandum, the DA’s provincial leader, Roy Jankielsohn, explained that one of the reasons for the unsafe water that residents in the province consume is the raw sewage that runs into streams, rivers, through fields, yards and the streets of residents. “One of the main reasons for the poor municipal services, that include the lack of or poor construction and management of sewage plants, as well as water supply and quality problems, relates to poor financial management,” the memorandum reads. Some of the possible reasons included in the memorandum are:

•The non-payment by residents and a culture of non-payment by municipalities to water boards.

•Poor planning, financial mismanagement and lack of prioritisation of funds towards basic service delivery.

•Ageing water-related infrastructure and poor maintenance of infrastructure.

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

Mangaung Metro Municipality has been reportedly losing about 46% of the water that residents could have supplied. The Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, said the loss was due to water pipe leakages. He said these water pipes have not been maintained or repaired. During President Cyril Ramaphosa's Presidential Imbizo in Bloemfontein, Mchunu announced that at least two projects worth at least R500 million were in the pipeline to supply water to Mangaung residents who are often irate about the recurring water supply cuts. OFM News previously reported that his department plans to take over the two portfolios of Water and Sanitation in at least three Free State municipalities.

ALSO READ: MAP Water improves infrastructure

Meanwhile, resolutions for water supply problems in the Maluti-a-Phofung Municipality are being prioritised. According to the Maluti-a-Phofung (MAP) Water spokesperson, Kelopiloe Mogake, the municipality has recently purchased a raw water pump from Germany to the value of R270 595. The new water pump is to ensure that enough water is available to the community and, after more than ten years of challenges with water supply, the pump will soon be by the end of October. MAP Water has also stated that water tankers will be dispatched to affected areas after a 700mm mainline pipe burst at Thaba-Tsoeu. The tankers will supply the community with water until repairs are completed and the supply is restored.

OFM News has sent out enquiries to the Office of the Premier, Mangaung Metro Municipality and Bloem Water for comments.

OFM News