Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Maxie Badenhorst and Sesotho soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL. See attached pictures here, here, here, and here.
For more than 18 months, residents of Hennenman and Phomolong in Matjhabeng have endured evening water restrictions imposed by Vaal Central Water (VCW) to maintain reservoir levels at the Ventersburg and Mmamahabane reservoirs. Major leaks at key reservoirs have worsened this crisis.
Despite repeated warnings, repairs have not been carried out. Instead, communities are forced to adapt to an inflexible schedule, while millions of litres of water are lost daily.
On 19 September 2025, a power failure at the Riebeeckstad reservoirs resulted in the Brabant and Ventersburg reservoirs being emptied. By 21 September, taps were still dry, with Matjhabeng officials failing to provide updates or emergency water tankers. Residents were left completely abandoned during the outage.
The largest concern lies at the Brabant Reservoir, where a leak first reported in January 2024 remains unresolved. Oversight visits as recently as September 2025 confirmed water pooling hundreds of metres away, with security officers reporting constant leakage whenever the reservoir is filled. The seepage has formed a dam on farmland, rendering it unusable and now threatening to erode the R70 road, posing a dangerous hazard for motorists.
Farmers have even had to install private pipelines under roads at their own cost just to access their land.
Ventersburg faces a similar situation. Two large dams have formed near the R70 quarries and at Hamilton Street, likely caused by an underground pipeline leak from the VCW reservoir feeding Mmamahabane. These dams did not exist before and indicate significant water losses. Beyond wastage, they pose a grave safety risk, as children may attempt to swim there during summer holidays.
The crisis is compounded by the Matjhabeng Municipality’s R6 billion debt to VCW. This crippling debt has stalled repairs, maintenance, and contractor appointments. Although an arbitrator granted VCW interim relief of R50 million, Matjhabeng challenged the ruling, with court hearings only due in 2026. VCW continues to threaten to cut supply to just 30%, leaving residents in constant uncertainty.
We have previously reached out to the Free State provincial government, as they are fully aware of the water crisis in Matjhabeng, yet no meaningful intervention has been made to date.
The DA insists that paying residents must not suffer for municipal mismanagement. Access to water is a constitutional right. The DA is calling for immediate repairs, independent risk assessments, and a review of restrictions. These issues will also be escalated to the Minister of Water and Sanitation for urgent national intervention.
The people of Matjhabeng deserve a reliable and safe water supply. The DA will continue to fight until this fundamental right is restored.