DA mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink has criticised Mayor Nasiphi Moya’s multiparty coalition government, saying residents in the City of Tshwane have little to celebrate since it took office in October last year.

Brink’s remarks came after the coalition’s event at Lucas van den Berg Sports Ground, where Moya and her committee members reported on their performance.

He expressed concern over the Hammanskraal water project, claiming it has stalled but that the DA believes it can still be completed. 

He questioned the city’s progress in blacklisting companies linked to businessman Edwin Sodi and hold some municipal officials accountable for their roles in the irregularly awarded contract for the Rooiwal wastewater treatment plant refurbishment. 

The contract, awarded to a joint venture between CMS, NJR & Blackhead, was terminated in 2022 due to persistent delays.

The refurbishment project was aimed to enhance the Rooiwal plant’s capacity to process the large volume of wastewater, addressing the long-standing issue of dirty water affecting Hammanskraal residents.

Brink emphasised the need for action to ensure Hammanskraal residents receive clean water.

According to him, Tshwane’s water tanker expenditure has skyrocketed from R170 million to a staggering R500 million since the coalition government took over. 

“This is despite the fact that the Hammanskraal clean water project should have reduced water tanker expenditure,” he said.

Last month, the city’s municipal manager, Johann Mettler, told the portfolio committee on cooperative governance and traditional affairs that delays in blacklisting Sodi’s companies were due to procedural issues encountered by the city.

He said the city has referred its case to the internal audit department to review and ensure compliance before submitting it to the Treasury.

Mettler said the Auditor-General’s investigation into the Rooiwal refurbishment project uncovered evidence of fraud, prompting the city to cancel the project. 

Consequently, the appointed contractors would face consequences, including blacklisting, for breaching their contracts.

Moya, however, remains optimistic, saying the city will complete major water and sanitation projects, including Phases 3 and 4 of the Magalies Water Klipdrift Package Plant and the Rooiwal  to bring clean and reliable water to Hammanskraal.

She said the city will intensify a programme called #ThibaDiLeakage to reduce non-revenue water to below 30%.

Member of the Mayoral Committee for Utility Services, Frans Boshielo, acknowledged that non-revenue water losses are currently at 37.2%, representing a significant financial and service delivery risk. 

“We are intensifying leak detection, pipe replacement, and billing system improvements to address these losses,” he said.

He said the water security programme has made strides through the optimisation of bulk sources such as Rietvlei, Roodeplaat, and Bronkhorstspruit.

“These upgrades are essential to securing a sustainable supply for our growing population,” Boshielo said.

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za

Source link