Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Suzette Steyn and Sesotho soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL. See attached picture here.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is urgently escalating the ongoing water crisis in Mafube to provincial representatives and has formally requested logistical support from the Fezile Dabi District Municipality to expedite solutions for a reliable water supply.
Frankfort, Namahadi and Cornelia once again woke up to dry taps. The owner of a well-known coffee shop seriously considered whether keeping her business open was still worth it.
“What is a coffee shop that cannot serve coffee?” she asked after a disgruntled client verbally lashed out when told the coffee machine could not be connected. She admitted that she only continues fighting this never-ending battle for the sake of her nine employees and their futures.
Mafube suffered a significant setback in 2022 when Clover closed its plant in Frankfort, resulting in 80 job losses. Clover had assisted the municipality for years in maintaining the Frankfort intake tower, but eventually constructed its own reservoir and filtering system. Even this investment did not prevent the closure.
Over the past 12 months, Mafube has seen further retrenchments from businesses such as Kromdraai Milling and OK Foods. With an unemployment rate of more than 40% (Statistics South Africa, Census 2011), locals also complain that whenever new businesses open, they are not given preference.
For the past two months, businesses in Mafube have battled to remain operational. When two of the three pumps at the Frankfort abstraction plant became dysfunctional, Mafube Local Municipality failed to treat the matter as urgent.
Residents and businesses are now at the breaking point. Unreliable communication from the technical department and failure to adhere to water shedding schedules have deepened frustration. Water loss due to air build-up in pipelines and wasted electricity costs from idle geysers exacerbate the crisis. While all depend on the last functioning pump, still, no urgency can be found from the municipality, which itself suffers daily revenue losses.
Revenue collection for September stands at 15%. Despite promises of ringfenced salaries, payments remain outstanding, while SARS again depleted municipal bank accounts due to unpaid debt. Promises to engage with the private sector and civil society to rebuild trust have not materialised.
These concerns have been transmitted to DA representatives in the Provincial Legislature, with support requested from Fezile Dabi District Municipality.