Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Anelia Blignaut and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Diphapang Mofokeng. See attached picture here.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Nketoana will write to the municipal manager to hold the municipality accountable for the immediate completion of the unfinished Mamafubedu reservoir project, which has already cost R8 million without delivering any water relief to the community.
During a recent oversight visit to the critical reservoir project in Mamafubedu, it was discovered with great concern that the project remains incomplete and that all construction work has stopped.
We established that the original contractor’s service contract was terminated in August 2025 due to non-performance, despite the municipality already having paid them R8 million. According to the original contract, the project should have been completed by March 2025.
The same incomplete project is now being re-advertised for the completion of Phase 4. Nketoana Municipality is currently awaiting new tenders, closing on 3 December 2025.
According to the municipality’s latest plan, the project is expected to be completed by August 2026.
The DA believes that this continued failure and the blatant waste of taxpayers’ money are entirely unacceptable.
The residents of Mamafubedu have lived for years under a rigorous water schedule, with access to running water for only 4 hours per day. The unfinished reservoir project represents a direct failure to address this crisis and to ensure reliable service delivery.
Firstly, contractors must be thoroughly vetted and audited before appointment to ensure they have the proven capacity and technical ability to complete the work within budget and timeframe.
Secondly, the municipality must maintain continuous and strict oversight of the progress of all critical projects to prevent further mismanagement and the waste of taxpayers’ money.
We will hold the municipality accountable to take these decisive steps immediately.