In a letter written by the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, sent this week to the Freedom Front Plus’ MP Tammy Breedt, the minister said they regretted that the water challenges in Ngwathe Local Municipality, particularly Parys, were not receiving the urgency they deserved.

He wrote that the department had established the Ngwathe Intervention Committee to assist the municipality in resolving the water quality and supply challenges in Parys. It also formed a technical sub-committee to assist Ngwathe officials at a technical level. “Further to the above, the Regional Head of the Department in die Free State also established the Ngwathe War Room with meetings to be held every Tuesday and Thursday since the establishment of the committee.”

Unfortunately, these interventions are not reaping the intended rewards the minister said, adding that Ngwathe officials were not committed to the process.

In answer to Breedt’s earlier questions, he explained that the responsibility for water supply and sanitation services within Parys and other towns of Ngwathe lay with Ngwathe Local Municipality.

As such, procurement processes, management, operation and maintenance of water and sanitation services are functions that Ngwathe controlled.

He said the department had no control over them and could only assist by providing guidance.
“The ultimate responsibility on decisions lay with the municipality,” he said.

“Projects and interventions are delayed due to Ngwathe being without an accounting officer, the municipal manager (MM), during this time of crisis in Ngwathe,” he added.

CoGTA has since delegated an acting MM to Ngwathe.

Appointments for the two critical interventions, a generator for the water treatment works (WTW) and refurbishment of the Parys WTW, which would make a consi- derable difference in the current water crisis in Parys, can now be finalised and service providers appointed, he said.
“Ngwathe’s supply chain management department’s slow procurement of services is exacerbating the dire water supply situation in Parys,” the minister said.

“Procuring the generator for the WTW and appointing a contractor for its refurbishment are two items that would make considerable progress towards a more stable water supply to the residents of Parys, but the appointment of these interventions has been delayed for months already.”

The minister said his department was currently funding water and sanitation interventions under the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant and Water Services Infrastructure Grant funding programmes to R254,9m.

He said the electricity crisis in Parys due to load shedding and load reduction was the primary cause of the town’s water problems, and his department was doing its best to address and mitigate this challenge, but that they do not have control over the electricity supply in Parys.

However, he added that the department was busy sourcing funds for a dedicated electricity supply to the Parys WTW, which would exclude the WTW from the load shedding and load reduction in Parys.

The minister confirmed that the WTW’s refurbishment would happen in a phased manner, and constructing additional storage volume at the final sump was prioritised as it would have a quick impact on the volume of water available to be pumped to the reservoirs.