While progress has been made on paper – with reports indicating that 74% of the project is complete – the facility remains non-operational, a white elephant caught in the grip of power shortages due to vandalism and delays amongst others.

Located in Welkom, the Thabong plant came under the spotlight following an oversight visit by Deputy President Paul Mashatile and Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae on Tuesday (1/7). The visit formed part of the Clean Cities and Towns Integrated Service Delivery Programme – a national effort aimed at restoring basic services across municipalities.

Deputy President Paul Mashatile, alongside Free State Premier, MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae, and Matjhabeng Mayor Thanduxolo Khalipha, at Thabong water treatment plant. Photo: Kekeletso Mosebetsi.

However, what was meant to be a beacon of service delivery recovery has instead highlighted the broader dysfunction of local infrastructure management.

R128,448,901.09 was allocated for the refurbishment of the Thabong facility, yet less than half – R47,796,068 – has actually been spent. The project, undertaken by contractor HWA Engineering and managed by Polokwane-based project managers, began with Phase 1, funded by the municipality. 

This phase focused on refurbishing the first pump station.

Phase 2, now under the funding of the Department of Water and Sanitation, aims to complete outstanding work. This includes critical installations such as digestor pipe works, pumps, civil construction for tank security, and electrical infrastructure necessary for full bulk supply operation.

Yet, due to widespread cable theft and vandalism, the plant is still without reliable power. As a result, only a partial operation may be possible in the near future while awaiting the full electrical supply to be restored. 

There is currently no electricity at the plant as a result of cables understood to have been vandalised.

The ailing Matjhabeng has long struggled with a failing sewerage network and dilapidated water treatment facilities. The health and well-being of thousands of residents have been jeopardised for some time due to an insufficient water supply and poor sanitation.

Acting Mayor Hlobohang Mokhomo, during a presentation to the National Council of Provinces last year, laid bare the scale of the crisis. According to Mokhomo, the total cost of rehabilitating the sewerage and water treatment infrastructure stands at R575 million, with a further R10 million needed for proper network management and control.

Financial limitations, outdated infrastructure, and unrelenting vandalism continue to erode any progress made.

In April, newly elected Mayor Thanduxolo Khalipha welcomed a critical financial injection of R3.4 billion aimed at addressing the region’s water and sanitation crisis.

OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi