Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Sesotho soundbites by Cllr Tim Mpakathe
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Mantsopa Local Municipality will take firm steps to ensure that a reliable water supply is restored to the communities of Dipelaneng and Hobhouse.
We will hold the Municipal Manager accountable for the ongoing failure to procure a replacement vehicle for the water division, despite insurance money having been paid out more than a year ago.
Following an oversight visit to the water reservoirs in Hobhouse, it was found that all five reservoirs were empty, with no water available to supply to the residents.
Municipal employees assigned to ensure the smooth operation of the water supply have been struggling to perform their duties for quite some time now, as the vehicle assigned to them was stolen. At the same time, they were busy working at the water reservoirs in 2023.
We wrote to the Municipal Manager in November 2024, after realising that the insurance had paid R284,000 for the stolen bakkie. Through her correspondence, the Municipal Manager indicated that a new bakkie for the Hobhouse water division would be procured in December 2024 or January 2025.
Until now, no new bakkie has been purchased for the water division in Dipelaneng and Hobhouse, forcing municipal employees to rely on their private cars to render services to residents or to rely on residents to drive them to reservoirs.
Another reason affecting the inconsistent supply of water to residents is the non-payment of Eskom’s small account by the Mantsopa local municipality, which compels Eskom to cut the electricity supply to the pump at Leeurivier.
The DA in the Mantsopa local municipality will not rest until human dignity is respected. We will continue to fight for residents in the council and hold the Municipal manager accountable.