MBOMBELA – Rand Water has taken over bulk-water projects from the Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA).
The municipal executive announced during a special council meeting last Friday that all projects which did not stand at 80 per cent completion had been awarded to Rand Water, which took over from Bushbuckridge Water Board. Executive mayor Cllr Sibusiso Mathonsi said this was after the premier’s coordinating forum decided to move the implementation in July.
According to Mathonsi, Rand Water would handle potable water and sanitation services as well as infrastructure implementation and maintenance. He indicated that the previous service providers had been transferred with the incomplete projects, but that Rand Water was free to change contractors once work on a new phase of construction had started.
DA caucus leader Mr Jo Koster again said Rand Water, and not Sembcorp Silulumanzi, would be handling the increase in supply around the planned university and fresh- produce market.
• Council also referred its performance report on the fourth-quarter finances back to the finance committee. This was supposed to be submitted to National Treasury at the end of July.
An ordinary council meeting scheduled for July 31 was postponed, resulting in 10 items ending up on the agenda – those attending were not allowed to take their cellphones. Koster accused municipal management of not submitting its reports on time before meetings, which ultimately resulted in it not being to perform the due dilligence with which it had been tasked.
At the time of going to press, Mr Joseph Ngala, spokesman for Mbombela, had not responded to questions pertaining to it.
