Although any investment in sewage infrastructure in the Matjhabeng Local Municipality is welcomed, the FF Plus is concerned that Welkom may be getting the short end of the stick.
In reply to a question by the FF Plus, the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Mrs Pemmy Majodina, indicated that her department has earmarked R1,6 billion for addressing sanitation problems in Matjhabeng.
This amount is significantly more than the R425 million that the former Minister, Senzo Mchunu, announced during his visit to the Municipality in November 2022.
What can, however, be gleaned from Majodina’s reply is that most of these funds will be spent in Thabong.
The FF Plus is of the opinion that Welkom’s sanitation problems deserve just as much attention, especially considering the critical challenges in areas such as the Goldfields Mall, Koppie Alleen Road and Constantia, where sewage has been streaming down the streets for months.
Welkom is the Municipality’s capital city with the most businesses and residents whose municipal contributions make up a large portion of Matjhabeng’s revenue.
According to the Minister’s reply, the real expenditure on interventions amounted to R679 million at the end of July 2024. These include, among other things, expenditure on construction, professional fees and emergency repairs.
The FF Plus will ask the Minister in a follow-up question to clarify what those professional fees entail and how it has contributed to improving infrastructure.
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