Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Riëtte Dell and Sesotho soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Setsoto Local Municipality notes the recent progress in temporarily restoring water supply to the communities of Senekal and Matwabeng, following repairs to the pipeline feeding the two 2.5ML reservoirs. But daily water shut-offs remain a concern for residents.
We welcome the hard work of the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) team, who completed emergency repairs on Saturday afternoon, enabling water to be pumped back into the smaller reservoirs.
The water supply was partially restored overnight by carefully managing pressure to avoid further bursts. This strategy included opening the system at midnight for limited filling and again at 6:00 the next morning.
However, we remain gravely concerned that the new 11ML reservoir and upgraded Cyferfontein Water Treatment Works, valued at nearly R180 million, are still not online.
The 11ML reservoir remains disconnected from the system due to outstanding repairs and delays in material procurement by Zutari.
Senekal continues to rely heavily on temporary infrastructure, such as the DePut system, which is performing well but is not designed for long-term use as the primary water supply.
The community endures daily water shut-offs, usually from 21h00, in an effort to preserve limited capacity, an unsustainable reality that cannot continue.
These piecemeal interventions are not enough. The people of Senekal and Matwabeng deserve a fully operational, resilient, and reliable water system. The continued delays in finalising the new infrastructure project, despite it being 90% complete months ago, raise serious concerns about contractor accountability, project management, and political will.
We reiterate our call to:
- Fast-track the completion of the 11ML reservoir integration.
- Improve communication with residents regarding supply schedules and progress.
- Implement stronger oversight mechanisms to prevent further technical or logistical delays.
The DA remains committed to ongoing oversight through the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) and the Infrastructure Section 80 Committee, and we have escalated this matter to the Free State Legislature for urgent answers.
Senekal cannot be left in limbo any longer.