The Mbombela Local Municipality’s poor planning and failure to maintain water infrastructure are some of the main reasons why parts of Hazyview have had little to no water supply for nearly eleven days now.
However, the outdated water infrastructure of this Municipality (Mbombela/Nelspruit, Barberton, Hazyview, Kaapschehoop, Skukuza, White River) is the biggest culprit.
This is the second time in less than six months that Hazyview residents are affected by a water crisis.
And yet repair work is almost never done. The backup pumps at the raw water pump station and its pressure tower are out of order.
As a result, the Municipality must once again continually rely on water supply from a canal scheme. The scheme contract was cancelled in the 2012/13 financial year. The canal irrigation board has, however, allowed the Municipality to use it again.
The canal system was used to supply Hazyview with water in the past without the additional Eskom expense of pumping water from the raw water pump station to the water treatment plant.
It was cheaper to obtain and is indeed a possible solution to the ongoing water crisis.
The FF Plus will ensure that Mbombela is held accountable for its dereliction of duty. In March 2023, the FF Plus revealed that there are 496 municipal resolutions dating back to 2016 that were never implemented.
One of these council resolutions related specifically to drawing up maintenance plans for municipal infrastructure.
But that never happened and at present, the Municipality is violating residents’ constitutional right to access to adequate water supply.
The FF Plus will ask the Municipal Manager, Mr Wiseman Khumalo, to provide answers during the next council meeting. Possible disciplinary steps must also be considered.
