Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Doreen Wessels and Sesotho soundbite by David Masoeu MPL. See attached pictures here and here.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Phumelela Local Municipality will write to the Provincial Department of CoGTA to address the ongoing infrastructure crisis in Warden and the municipality’s dismissive response to the severe damage caused by contractors appointed by the municipality.
For three years, this contractor has been engaged in a project that has left a trail of destruction rather than the promised service delivery improvements. Despite official claims that the affected streets remain traversable, direct on-the-ground evidence reveals a disturbing reality of gross negligence and failed oversight, with residents and business owners bearing the brunt of unprofessional workmanship and abandoned responsibilities.
The situation has reached a critical point, with local businesses actively losing clients because their premises have been rendered inaccessible by deep trenches and improperly covered culverts. In several instances, manholes have been left protruding as much as 500mm above ground level, creating lethal hazards for motorists and pedestrians alike on major thoroughfares such as Piet Retief Street.
The municipality’s attempt to deflect blame by attributing the state of the roads to general pothole decay is a transparent effort to shield the contractor from accountability for their specific failures in site restoration.
There is currently a clear dispute between the Phumelela Municipality and the contractors, with neither party willing to take responsibility for the catastrophic damage.
The DA rejects this stalemate and maintains that the municipality, as the employer, is legally obligated to enforce the terms of its service-level agreement with the contractor. Recent heavy rains have exacerbated the situation, causing raw sewage from the incomplete and poorly managed system to overflow into the local river and directly into the RDP homes of Warden residents.
It is unconscionable that the municipality continues to insist on connecting lines to a system in which the primary pump stations remain non-functional due to repeated cable theft and a lack of security oversight.
We demand that the Phumelela Local Municipality exercise strict financial oversight as the contract approaches its scheduled conclusion this month. Despite potential delays cited due to recent rains, we insist that the municipality must not award any certificate of practical completion or release final retention payments until all road surfaces and infrastructure are fully restored to professional standards.
We will demand an urgent inquiry into the project’s contract management and the immediate enforcement of penalty clauses against the contractors to protect the community’s interests and safety.