The Democratic Alliance (DA) in two Free State municipalities is taking action to address the ongoing water and infrastructure crises facing residents.
In Letsemeng, the public prosecutor will write to the newly appointed mayor, Andrew Visagie and the acting technical director, Mpho Tswene, calling for urgent intervention and proper monitoring to tackle the ongoing flooding of reservoirs and water waste in Petrusburg.
Many residents still face frequent water shortages in large parts of the city, while the municipality’s inability to properly manage and maintain water infrastructure contributes to unnecessary water loss and puts additional pressure on limited water supplies.
The continued flooding of reservoirs without proper monitoring indicates that water shortages are the result of poor maintenance and inadequate controls.
The continued flooding of reservoirs without proper monitoring indicates that water shortages are the result of poor maintenance and inadequate controls. Significant amounts of water that should have been supplied to residents are being wasted due to a problem that the municipality should have addressed.
“Residents should not suffer as a result of the negligence of the ANC-led government, and it is our duty as public prosecutors to ensure services are delivered efficiently,” said Cllr. Thabo Nthapo, DA councilor in Letsemeng local municipality.
In Phumelela Local Municipality, the public prosecutor will write to the provincial branch of CoGTA to address the infrastructure crisis in Warden and the municipality’s response to damage caused by municipality-appointed contractors.
For three years, a contractor has been involved in a project that has left behind damaged infrastructure instead of promised service improvements. Despite official claims that affected streets remain passable, evidence shows that there are ongoing problems with finishing and supervision, affecting residents and business owners.
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Local businesses are losing customers because their properties have become inaccessible due to deep channels and poorly covered culverts. In several cases, manholes have been left projecting up to 500mm above ground level, creating hazards for motorists and pedestrians on major arterial roads such as Piet Retiefstraat.
The council has blamed the condition of the roads on the general disrepair of potholes, but the DA claims this deflects blame from the contractor’s failure to rehabilitate the site.
There is currently an ongoing dispute between the Municipality of Phumelela and the contractors, with neither party willing to take responsibility for the damage.
The recent heavy rains have worsened the situation, causing raw sewage from the incomplete and poorly managed system to enter the local river and flow directly into the RDP homes of Warden residents.
The recent heavy rains have worsened the situation, causing raw sewage from the incomplete and poorly managed system to enter the local river and flow directly into the RDP homes of Warden residents.
The municipality continues to insist on connecting lines to a system in which the primary pumping stations no longer function due to repeated cable theft and a lack of safety oversight.
The prosecutor is demanding that the Phumelela local municipality exercise strict financial supervision as the contract nears its scheduled completion this month. Despite possible delays due to recent rainfall, the party insists that the council should not issue any certificate of practical completion or release final retention payments until all road surfaces and infrastructure have been fully restored to professional standards.
The prosecutor will demand an urgent investigation into the contract management of the project and the immediate enforcement of penalty clauses against the contractors.
Marti Will
novanews.co.za
