The Magalies Water Board has taken legal action against some of the municipalities they supply with water in the North West Province. This after unsuccessful negotiations with these municipalities regarding their "non-payment" of their water debts. Magalies Water said the municipalities' debts hurt its ability to provide water.
The water utility says it has taken this step to succeed in getting the remaining funds from these municipalities to provide water to the residents without any challenges, as well as renew and performing infrastructure maintenance. Spokesperson of Magalies Water David Magae said: "There are five municipalities in the North West Province that owe millions of rands to the water utility, and these municipalities include Kgetlengrivier, Rustenburg, Mahikeng, Moses Kotane, and Maquassi Hills Local municipalities."
The Wolmaransstad-based Maquassi Hills Local Municipality in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District owes Magalies Water R330 million, and residents say they are surprised to hear that the municipality owes millions of rands to Magalies Water. Residents of Tswelelang Extension 10 said they have been struggling with water for many years, and recently it has been six weeks in a row without water in their township.
They say they are forced to draw water from unsafe water streams. They said Extensions 10, 13 and 17 are the most affected places. "We are wondering what caused the water debt to be this much because they are not giving us water. We are struggling; we live by buying water from people who have Jojo tanks, as they buy water in town from people who have boreholes. "When you don't have money, you'll have to draw water from the streams," said a community member.
The Mayor of Maquassi Hills, Mzwandile Feliti, confirmed their water debt to Magalies Water and said it is a historic debt of more than 10 years ago. He said earlier this year they reached a payment agreement for the next 10 years with Magalies Water that they will pay an amount of R4 million monthly to maintain their current account.
He said they will also pay R10 million quarterly after receiving their equitable share from the national treasury to settle their R300 million debt. Feliti said the main cause of the water challenge and lack of enough water supply in Maquassi Hills is a small pipe that supplies residents with water from the reservoir.
He raised the issue of the establishment of new extensions which house more residents. "We are currently awaiting funding from National Treasury to ensure that we extend our pipes to implement our turnaround strategy for December. "We are just waiting for the study of places with water from the technical services department so that we can dig boreholes in every section where there is water." he said.
The Maquassi Hills water problems continue despite visits made by the provincial government through the Thuntsa Lerole programme meant to accelerate service delivery to the residents in August. During the visit, there was Minister of Water and Sanitation Senzo Mchunu in attendance in January this year.
Mchunu then admitted that government had failed to supply Maquassi Hills residents with potable, clean water. Mchunu said this after he toured two water treatment plants and saw ageing infrastructure and a reservoir that had not been maintained for years.
