It’s warned it will oppose and, if necessary, legally challenge any unlawful attempt to declare the closure of water treatment plants in Mantsopa a local disaster. The move follows a meeting by the speaker after the labour department closed water treatment plants. 

It is alleged the municipality wanted to declare a local disaster in terms of Section 55(1) of the Disaster Management Act, citing failure, unsafe operation and regulatory non-compliance of water infrastructure. However, the party argued that the process was unlawful. 

It pointed to Section 49 of the Act, which requires the municipal disaster management centre to first determine whether an event qualifies as a disaster and to notify national and provincial centres. “No such report was tabled before council,” said Cllr Tim Mpakathe. 

“In the absence of this legislative prerequisite, the DA regards the process as unlawful and procedurally flawed. (We) will write to the provincial authorities to request oversight intervention and will pursue all legal avenues to prevent the abuse of disaster provisions.”

If this situation is improperly declared a disaster, it will create a dangerous precedent, enabling municipalities to neglect maintenance, misuse public funds, and later seek to mask incompetence through emergency declarations, he said. Residents of Ladybrand, Hobhouse, and surrounding areas did not have water for four days because the Hobhouse water treatment plant was closed by labour inspectors.

On Thursday, 18 December, labour inspectors conducted a health and safety inspection under Section 30 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993. The municipality was prohibited from continuing with the water treatment works because the employees were at risk of fire and electrocution, as the electrical installation at the plant was not connected, and chlorine was not properly stored.

The treatment plant was visited again on Friday, 6 February, and officials decided to close it, citing compromised employee safety.

The municipality resumed pumping at the plant on Wednesday, 11 February, and it said it was waiting for the department of labour to inspect whether the repairs were done correctly.

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OFM News/Zenande Mpame mvh