The future for Silulumanzi as a water provider and wastewater service in the province’s capital city is a topic the City of Mbombela (CoM) has yet to discuss.

Since 1999, this South African Water Works company was entrusted to render water services to the CoM under a 30-year concession contract due to end in 2029. In December, the CoM’s spokesperson, Joseph Ngala, said the executive council had not begun any discussions about the future of this partnership. Mpumalanga News is also aware that the matter has not been entered onto any agenda of the executive council’s recent meetings.

Silulumanzi’s spokesperson, Richmond Jele, said the company is prepared for any decision the municipality makes regarding its future in the city.

“Silulumanzi would like to continue working in partnership with the CoM to improve service delivery in other areas of the municipality where it has not reached desirable standards or is declining due to a number of factors, including population growth, land invasions, or residents making illegal water connections on bulk water pump lines that supply water to reservoirs, thus causing leaks and shortages. At the same time, we would like to continue ensuring everyone that the highest service standards continue to be maintained in the city, in order to attract further business investment to grow the local economy and create sustainable jobs. We also wish to finalise business plans to upgrade the bulk infrastructure to address the current shortages of water supply experienced in some of the water systems,” Jele said.

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He said the company has duly provided the service in terms of the concession contract. Silulumanzi provides water to Mbombela, some parts of the Nsikazi region and Matsulu. It manages four water and three wastewater treatment plants, while the CoM manages the regional water treatment works in KaNyamazane and is responsible for bulk supply of water and distribution to all other areas in Nsikazi.

“Testimony to this fact is the quality of water supplied by Silulumanzi compared with the water supplied to other areas. Some parts of South Africa have, unfortunately, not fared as good in terms of water supply; in some areas, water infrastructure has collapsed, leading to residents going for prolonged periods without water, sewage running down the streets for months and businesses closing down and relocating due to poor water supply or a lack thereof, which unfortunately means job losses and the local communities suffering these ill effects.”

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Jele said should the CoM choose not to extend the concession, the water infrastructure will be transferred back to the municipality at the end of the contract, in line with the handover procedure stipulated in the contract.

“All our water infrastructure belongs to the CoM, and in terms of the concession agreement, Silulumanzi leases the assets from the CoM and is given the sole right to operate the assets for the period as stipulated,” he said.