The DA in Mkhondo calls on the MMC for Technical Service, Mary Thwala to urgently attend to the municipality’s deteriorating water infrastructure.
Over the past few weeks, residents in Mkhondo have been without water for up to 6 days. In some instances this can be attributed to load-shedding as the Mahamba reservoir and the Mark street reservoir do not function during load-shedding.
Due to the lack of monitoring and maintenance, the municipality’s water pipeline system is broken leading to continuous water interruptions. The municipality is also facing challenges with its water pump stations.
Yesterday, the DA visited the Mark Street reservoir and we found that there was no water being pumped. The municipality indicated faulty cables and a burnt transformer as the main reasons for the water outage. We could not perform a thorough oversight and assessment of the reservoir after the municipality refused to grant us access into the reservoir.
Following our visit, the municipality issued a communique confirming that there are water interruptions at their waterworks and that technicians were on site working on the matter. However, this was nothing but a lie, as there were no technicians at Mark Street Reservoir.
Instead, we were informed that there are no keys to let us into the reservoir and that it’s nearly time to knock off. Calls made to Senior managers in the municipality’s water division went unanswered.
It has also emerged that the municipality’s water and electricity division is operating with only two vehicles. Previously, the DA, highlighted that other vehicles were left unattended at the municipality’s workshop.
A month ago, the municipality sold some of its damaged assets on auction for R1.5 million. These included old vehicles from the water division. However, none of these vehicles have been replaced. The truth of the matter is that the municipality is failing in its responsibility of providing water and sanitation to communities in a sustainable manner.
It is unacceptable for communities in Mkhondo to rely on water handouts from business owners. The DA reiterates that the influx of people to Mkhondo calls for an urgent intervention from the municipality. Unemployment and poverty are at its peak and residents cannot be expected to buy water.
The Technical Service Department led by MMC Thwala has also failed in its mandate of providing technical support and expertise to enable service delivery. The DA will raise this matter in council and compel MMC Thwala and her department to take responsibility and provide water and other services to residents of Mkhondo.