THE Department of Water and Sanitation has committed R425 million to assist in resolving waster water challenges facing the Matjhabeng local municipality in the Free State.
Of the committed budget, R150 million has been allocated in this financial year to repair and refurbish some of the wastewater treatment works, pump stations and repair of manholes.
The category B municipality which includes the four mining towns of Allanridge, Hennenman, Odendaalsrus, Ventersburg, Virginia and Welkom has been plagued by raw sewage spillages for the better part of the last two decades.
The authorities have blamed the spillages which have made the lives of citizens a hellish stink on aged infrastructure.
Minister of water and sanitation Senzo Mchunu who visited the municipality recently said the department will be keeping a close eye to ensure that the money is used correctly for the benefit of the people of Matjhabeng.
“We are going to make sure that the money we allocated is going where it is meant to go, that the entire budget does what it is meant to do,” Mchunu said.
Mchunu has applauded the progress made in attending to the sewer spillages in the municipality and committed to continuous monitoring of the work being done there.
Mchunu added that it was important to rehabilitate the municipality back to an economically active one.
“We’ve been here a few times and made an undertaking that we will assist in resolving the sewer challenges faced by this municipality. Now, the purpose of this visit was to check on how far or not work has been done.
“We wanted to make sure when we go to public platforms and talk about the work we are doing on the ground, we are sure of what we are talking about, and have seen it,” Mchunu explained.
In her audit report on the municipality’s financial year ending 2021 the Auditor-General (AG) Tsakani Maluleke made shocking findings with regards to the awarding of a tender for the construction of water infrastructure.
“A contract of R13 744 408 for the construction of the Nyakallong storm water system was awarded to a contractor on 12 April 2017. Two variation orders amounting to R3 268 705 were approved in 2017 and 2019,” the AG noted in her report.
“During a site visit, it was confirmed that the project was incomplete, the contractor abandoned the project site and the work performed was not of the required quality. Payments, estimated at R7 214 719, were made for an attenuation dam after the consulting engineer certified it had been completed. However, my site visit confirmed that the attenuation dam was not constructed. Section 65(2)(a) of the MFMA was contravened, as an effective system of expenditure control for the approval and payment of funds was not maintained.”
She said the overpayments made on the project are likely to result in a material financial loss for the municipality, if not recovered.
“The accounting officer was notified of the material irregularity on 5 May 2020. The accounting officer could not provide sufficient and appropriate evidence of the actions that had been taken in response to being notified of the material irregularity. I referred the material irregularity to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) on 9 June 2021 for investigation as provided for in section 5(1A) of the PAA,” Maluleke noted.
Mchunu was invited by Matjhabeng mayor Thanduxolo Khalipha to assess progress on sewer spillage rehabilitation work being done in the municipality since the last visit earlier this year. Khalipha and Mchunu were joined by Bloemwater Board chairperson, Tefetso Phitsane.
Bloemwater Board was appointed as the implementing agent after the municipality declared itself a disaster area due to the sewer problems and dysfunctional wastewater treatment plants. The municipality’s sewer network comprises of 1534km with 25 929 manholes, 57 pump stations and 11 Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW).
A total of 51 of the pump stations and 9 WWTWs are currently not functional due to various challenges such theft, vandalism, illegal mining activities, misuse of sewer, ageing infrastructure, and illegal mining among others.
Meanwhile Mchunu in cooperation with Lebalelo Water Users Association launched the Olifants Management Model Programme (OMM) at the Ga-Malekana Traditional Authority near Burgersfort in Limpopo.
The project is a collaboration between the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and Lebalelo Water Users Association (LWUA). The launch is aimed at accelerating potable and bulk raw water infrastructure in pursuit of ensuring that communities within reach and the surrounding mining companies in Sekhukhune and Mogalakwena District Municipalities are supplied with adequate water by 2030.
The project scope amongst others includes enabling water supply to Mogalakwena by moving a portion of the Lebalelo scheme’s current supply from Flag Boshielo Dam to De Hoop Dam and developing reticulation and related infrastructure to benefit a total of 134 villages.
The estimated cost of the programme is R24 billion and will be funded on a 50/50 contribution principle between government and Lebalelo Water Users Associations. This programme will address pressing water needs to approximately 380 000 people in the defined areas in the Limpopo province and will be able to create 42 000 jobs.
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