MALALANE – The provincial Democratic Alliance (DA) has blamed insufficient water supply and electricity shortages for having a negative impact on Komatipoort’s economic ability.
This came to light in a press release issued by the party on Wednesday afternoon last week.
According to the DA the collapse of basic services in Mpumalanga has dire consequences throughout the province, and the small town of Komatipoort is no exception.
This town has been plagued by electricity cuts, water shortages and sewage spills for years, which has had a detrimental effect on the area’s economy.
The DA says the absence of services has escalated to such an extent that the town’s core business – tourism – is being severely affected, while the Nkomazi Local Municipality (NLM) continues to turn a blind eye.
The town’s proximity to the Lebombo Border Post and the Kruger National Park makes this it a much sought-after destination for both local and international tourists.
However, once bustling guesthouses and lodges are struggling to fill their rooms and are suffering financially, as tourist numbers dwindle due to intermittent basic services such as water and electricity.
Water shortages are a particularly big problem, with residents and business owners claiming that days, sometimes even weeks, go by without water.
According to the DA this is mainly due to the run-down water distribution infrastructure that is collapsing due to a lack of maintenance.
The DA furthermore said that due to the municipality’s failure to upgrade the infrastructure, the distribution system cannot keep up with the ever-increasing demand.
Frustrated residents claim the municipality refuses to upgrade and repair the water distribution system, even though residents have purchased the necessary equipment and materials in their personal capacity.
The DA fails to understand how the town can be in the throes of a water crisis, especially as it lies alongside two major rivers – the Nkomati and Crocodile rivers – both of which are prominent water sources in the Lowveld.
“It is incomprehensible why they are not being used more effectively to keep the town supplied with water.
Government needs to urgently intervene in the Komatipoort water crisis, and the DA will engage the Department of Water Affairs through our national counterparts in a bid to find a solution,” said the DA.
“With the provincial unemployment rate and poverty escalating, our economy needs to be protected now more than ever, and given that tourism is one of the main economic contributors in the Lowveld, this sector in particular must be safeguarded,” the press released concluded.
Meanwhile the municipal manager of NLM, Mr Dan Ngwenya, last week promised to look into the water problem and has already deployed a task team to do an assessment of what is required to address
the problem, during a meeting with the Nkomazi East Combined Commerce and Tourism Association (Neccta), Eskom and the NLM.
