Vaal municipality faces ‘drought’ over its R450m debt to Rand Water

HUNDREDS of Emfuleni residents face misery after their municipality failed to pay its two-year historical debt of more than R450-million to Rand Water.

The water supplier has reduced provision to some areas after the ANC-run municipality failed to meet Friday’s deadline to pay about 25% (R50-million) of the money owed.

Water tankers had been sent to affected areas since Friday and five more would be added yesterday, mayoral spokesman Lebo Mofokeng said.

The municipality, which includes Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark, owed Rand Water about R485-million at the beginning of November‚ but had been able to pay only R150-million of the R200-million agreed to by Friday.

Mofokeng said residents not paying their municipal bills and the area’s high rate of unemployment affected the municipality’s ability to pay the water supplier in time.

Emfuleni mayor Jacob Khawe‚ Rand Water executives and Gauteng premier David Makhura were locked in a meeting to find a lasting solution to the problem.

Mofokeng said: “There are communities and government employees that can afford to pay the municipality but are not doing so and it affects the poorest of the poor.

“Being ignorant about revenue collection or payment for services is not assisting the municipality or South Africa – we need to prioritise our basic services.”

About 250 households had been affected by a 40% water restriction‚ he said.

In November‚ Rand Water announced a planned 60% water restriction.

But after hospitals complained that they had not been given prior notice of the cuts‚ Gauteng Cooperative Governance MEC Paul Mashatile intervened.

This led to the planned 60% water restriction being put on hold and Emfuleni promising to pay the money owed.

Sputnik Ratau, of the Department of Water and Sanitation, said: “Emfuleni has not been able to keep up the arrangement it made with Rand Water.”