Court action must not hinder service delivery

OUR lead story today pertains to long-standing issues at Mhlathuze Water.

The Zululand Observer previously carried articles on the suspension of senior officials implicated in charges presented by the utility’s board to the Hawks, who this week acted with serious intent.

Not only were leading figures named in the Mhlathuze Water charge sheet arrested, so too was a director-general in the premier’s office, a prima facie indication that the alleged corruption charges might have deeper roots than first suspected.

While we respect the principle of the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, the allegations remain of great concern to the public we represent.

In the first place, we are talking here of public monies to the amount of R37-million which may have been diverted from water provision projects into personal pockets.

The dire need for the delivery of water and related infrastructure in the region that falls under the jurisdiction of Mhlathuze Water is no secret, and every available cent needs to be spent wisely and efficiently.

The literal thirst of the people is directly linked to the thirst for the truth.

Secondly, there have been constant reports that staff at the water utility who stood in the way were either sidelined or dismissed, or had their working lives made so uncomfortable that they resigned.

Employer-employee relationships are important: an unhappy staff component makes for low productivity and poor performance.

It is also a matter of concern that during the period under which the allegations were being investigated, the utility continued to receive clean audits.

The only positive to come out of the public airing of the dirty washing at the utility has been the steadfastness and courage of the board of Mhlathuze Water, most notably chairperson Thabi Shange.

The shock revelation that she had been visited in her home and threatened by people posing as representatives of the National Intelligence Agency, who instructed her to cease the corruption investigation, fills us with fear for her safety.

We trust that she is being given the protection she might need.

The sooner this matter can be brought to rest, the sooner can life return to normal at Mhlathuze Water.

The utility has a huge role to play in water provision; sadly, this has been sidetracked by the internal problems.