Lepelle Northern Water (LNW) has announced that the Ba-Phalaborwa Local Municipality (Phalaborwa) will only receive 20% of its normal water supply as from 21 March due to outstanding debt.
Ba-Phalaborwa itself does not supply water to residents. The Mopani District Municipality fulfils that function and is responsible for paying LNW's water bill.
Ba-Phalaborwa does, however, collect residents' water payments and then pays the money over to the District Municipality.
At present, the ANC controls both these municipalities.
LNW indicated in the notice that the restriction on the water supply will be lifted once the outstanding debt is settled or a repayment agreement is reached.
According to a letter by the Director-General of the Department of Water and Sanitation, Sean Phillips, the Mopani District Municipality owed LNW R257 million on 31 January 2023.
According to him, the District Municipality is not paying off any new or old debt, nor is it honouring its repayment agreement.
This is not the first time that Phalaborwa residents are being punished with water cuts due to the Mopani District Municipality's non-payment of its water bill.
In May last year, residents also protested when Phalaborwa's water supply was reduced to 20% as well. The water supply was restored after Mopani had settled a portion of its water debt.
The FF Plus expressed its concern about the situation in an official letter to Ba-Phalaborwa's acting municipal manager, Dr Kgoshi Lucas Pilusa, and demanded urgent intervention.
The party also wants to know whether the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality is paying residents' payments for water to Mopani, and how much the Municipality owes Mopani for water.
Loyal taxpayers are being punished for the ANC's maladministration of the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality and Mopani District Municipality.
The ANC has destroyed the once prosperous Phalaborwa by playing political games and redeploying incompetent cadres from Ba-Phalaborwa in the District Municipality.
Residents deserve better than the ANC.
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