Municipality in NW spends over R4 mln monthly on water tankers

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The Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality in Mahikeng in the North West is spending between R4 million and R5  million a month on water tankers.

According to the municipality, they will continue to rely on water tankers for a while, to provide many communities with water.

The municipality has 12 water trucks, which are divided between five local municipalities, namely Mahikeng, Ramotshere Moiloa, Ditsobotla, Tswaing and Ratlou.

All local municipalities have been allocated two trucks each, with the exception of Mahikeng, which has been allocated four trucks.

The executive mayor of the district, Khumalo Molefe, says they are looking into providing communities with sustainable water.

“We are overstretched. You can imagine a distance from Disaneng, from Mahikeng to Mabule, which is more than 100 kilometers. So we are overstretched and that is why we were looking at additional tankers but we don’t want to rely on tankering. Tankering is a last resort. I don’t want to spend much time, much money on water tankering. I want to invest much time, effort and money on providing sustainable water.”

Criticized 

Some political parties have lashed out at the municipality for lack of capacity and skills to resolve longstanding water problems.

Keatlaretse Nko from the EFF says there is water, it’s only that the district on its own, is incapacitated.

“They do not have any capacity in terms of skills, in terms of machinery or otherwise.”

Cornel Dreyer from the DA says it is my opinion that Ngaka Modiri Molema does not possess the capacity, expertise or political will to address this situation satisfactorily.