Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Frans Bothma and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Kabelo Moreeng. See attached video here.
The water infrastructure crisis in the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality requires urgent, accountable action. The Democratic Alliance (DA) is deeply concerned that years of ageing infrastructure, high water losses, weak revenue management, and inadequate maintenance have placed the metro’s water and sanitation services under severe strain.
Residents continue to experience unreliable water supply, sewer spillages, and deteriorating infrastructure.
To ensure that conditional grant funding delivers real results, strict implementation and oversight are essential. This includes:
- Clear project plans with defined timelines,
- Regular reporting to oversight structures,
- Prioritising refurbishment of existing infrastructure,
- Strengthening preventative maintenance, and
- Enforcing consequence management where failures or misuse of funds occur.
Mangaung faces a severe maintenance crisis driven by chronic underinvestment. Infrastructure spending remains far below the accepted 8% benchmark, currently at about 2% and only rising to just under 4% after adjustments. At the same time, the water trading account is under significant pressure, with a projected deficit of approximately R109 million.
This prevents any contribution to the Capital Replacement Reserve, limiting the municipality’s ability to replace ageing infrastructure and maintain the water network.
Non-revenue water, currently at approximately 50.6%, is a major contributor to the financial crisis. More than half of treated water generates no income due to leaks, theft, and billing inefficiencies. Water losses alone exceed 48%, costing an estimated R340 million annually.
In addition, revenue-collection is deteriorating, with water revenue underperforming by about R104 million and wastewater revenue by R24 million.
Urgent intervention is required. Key actions include:
- Improving the accuracy of the billing system,
- Installing and monitoring bulk meters to detect leaks,
- Strengthening enforcement against illegal connections and water theft, and
- Deploying technologies such as satellite monitoring, GIS systems, and advanced leak detection.
- High-loss areas must be identified and prioritised for targeted intervention.
The DA has identified the Metro Trading Services Grant (MTSG), introduced by National Treasury, as a key opportunity to reverse the decline. The programme aims to improve the performance and financial sustainability of municipal trading services, including water and sanitation, with a national allocation of about R54 billion over six years.
Mangaung could receive close to R1 billion over the next three years; however, these funds are performance-based and contingent on credible reforms, improved governance, and the achievement of service delivery targets.
Progress is being made through initiatives such as the upgrade of the Maselspoort Water Treatment Works, installation of bulk water meters, and rollout of prepaid meters. Additional funding is also available through national grants such as the Urban Settlements Development Grant, Informal Settlements Upgrading Partnership Grant, and Urban Development Financing Grant.
The opportunity now exists to stabilise and rebuild Mangaung’s water systems. Success will depend on strong leadership, improved governance, and sound financial management.
The DA remains committed to ensuring residents receive reliable services and that public resources are managed responsibly.