The Freedom Front Plus in Tshwane has strongly criticised what it describes as ‘severe service delivery failures and administrative inertia’ under the current ActionSA-led local government, following a prolonged water leak in Ward 70 that reportedly went unresolved for more than four months despite being reported on a daily basis.

According to the party, the ongoing leak opposite Eldoraigne High School in Willem Botha Street has resulted in the waste of an estimated 1 million litres of treated drinking water. At R1 a litre, this translates to R1-million down the drain.

The party argues that this loss is particularly concerning given repeated calls to residents across the municipality to reduce water usage due to broader supply pressures.

The leak was finally fixed three weeks ago, but the pipe has started leaking again and was only finally fixed in the third week of June.

The incident has raised renewed concerns about the effectiveness of basic municipal maintenance systems, response times, and accountability mechanisms within the local administration.

FF+ councillor Lenor van Rensburg said that despite repeated escalations and continued pressure from its representatives on behalf of affected residents, municipal officials failed to respond with the urgency required to resolve the matter.

The water leak is being used by the party as an example of what it describes as a wider breakdown in operational efficiency within the municipality.

Van Rensburg contended that the prolonged delay in repairing what it considers a relatively straightforward infrastructure issue, reflects deeper systemic challenges affecting service delivery.

She expressed strong criticism of the situation, arguing that the delay reflects poorly on the current leadership and raises questions about municipal capacity and accountability.

“It is entirely unacceptable that a straightforward water leak takes a third of a year to fix,” said Van Rensburg.

“This is a glaring indictment of the current council leadership. While the political heads spin empty promises of progress, the reality on the ground is a massive waste of precious natural resources and taxpayer-funded infrastructure.”

She said the incident cannot be viewed in isolation and instead forms part of what it describes as a broader pattern of service delivery failures and administrative inefficiency.

She pointed to what she sees as insufficient oversight of municipal operations and a lack of effective enforcement of service delivery standards by political leadership.

Residents in affected areas are said to be facing increasing frustration over delays in basic repairs and maintenance work.

She pointed out that such delays not only inconvenience communities but also result in avoidable financial and environmental costs, particularly when essential resources such as treated water are lost due to preventable infrastructure failures.

Van Rensburg also raised concerns about the condition and deployment of municipal maintenance teams, stating that a review of operational procedures is necessary.

“There is a need for a comprehensive overhaul of how maintenance services are managed and deployed across the municipality. Without proper training, co-ordination, and accountability, even routine infrastructure problems can escalate into long-term service disruptions with significant consequences for residents.”

The reported water loss has also intensified debate around resource management within the municipality, particularly at a time when water conservation remains a key public concern.

Van Rensburg emphasised that wasting large volumes of treated water undermines both environmental sustainability and public confidence in local government service delivery.

She maintained that stronger oversight, improved technical capacity, and stricter enforcement of maintenance response times are essential to restoring public confidence and ensuring that similar incidents do not recur.

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