18 May 2021

Moshupa Sub-council chairperson, Mr Peter Sethibe, has pleaded with councillors to encourage constituents to pay water bills. 

Mr Sethibe said this while giving a keynote address at opening of a sub-council session recently.

“As you are all aware that following the outbreak of COVID-19, government took a decision to reconnect all disconnected customers and to halt further disconnections due to non-payment of water bills,” he said.

Mr Sethibe said the move was meant to ensure availability of water for all to wash hands to prevent the spread of the disease, but this led to many customers not paying their bills.

He indicated that Water Utilities Corporation was left with no choice but to appoint a debt collector to recover the outstanding debts effective from next month.

“This may not sit well with many of our constituents, who have long outstanding bills,” he said.

Mr Sethibe also shared that there would be a water tariff increment from 13.3 to 23.3 per cent effective June 2.

“All these measures are meant to maintain sustainability of the corporation and improved service,” he said.

Furthermore, he said Moshupa was mainly supplied from the North/South Carrier (NSC) pipeline scheme, adding that there was high water demand along the NSC corridor, coupled with operational challenges of power interruptions and equipment failure, leading to inconsistency of supply.

He said the supply shortages were however, mitigated through Dilokwana/Gasegogwane wellfield.

He said there was critical water shortages at Ralekgetho, Tshwaane and Manyana, adding however that water was bowsed to the villages to mitigate shortage amid limited number of water bowsers.

Mr Sethibe further lamented the rampant misuse of water in most villages within the sub-district.

He said this was mainly due to lack of water resources for agricultural purposes and the inadequate land servicing in almost all the villages, which have resulted in unbalanced water reticulation to the communities.

“The implementation of the Major Villages Network Rehabilitation and Expansion Project for Kanye and Moshupa villages would address the problems, though not in all villages,” he said.

Mr Sethibe indicated that, as a national response towards containing COVID-19 pandemic continues, the sub-district was fully aware that capital projects were faced with significant challenges that need to be responded to quickly.

 

“Implementing departments need to act fast towards tendering processes. A review is also required to check if the funding available would be enough to execute all planned projects,” he said. ENDS