POLOKWANE – Plans to establish Polokwane Water, a municipal entity focused solely on managing water and sanitation infrastructure through operations and maintenance, have faced delays as the city awaits feedback from leading water entities.

These entities are being consulted to benchmark best practices, a crucial step before moving forward with the municipal-owned entity envisioned by Mayor John Mpe.

According to municipal spokesperson Thipa Selala, the initiative aims to enhance capacity for maintaining water and sanitation services, which currently rely on contracted staff with varying resource capacities.

Importantly, Polokwane Water is not intended to replace Lepelle Northern Water, which supplies bulk water to the municipality.

The municipal council passed the resolution to establish Polokwane Water months ago, but progress has been hindered by the benchmarking process.

During a recent council committee meeting for water and sanitation, discussions highlighted the importance of learning from successful models, with Ekurhuleni Water Care Company and Johannesburg Water identified as potential benchmarks.

Alfred Moakamedi, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Water and Sanitation, assured stakeholders that despite delays in responses from these entities, efforts were underway to expedite the process. He emphasised the mayor’s directive to seek out the best practices in operations and maintenance.

Media and public scrutiny have intensified as discussions continue, with updates expected soon following consultations with Ekurhuleni Water Care Company and Johannesburg Water.

Meanwhile, the municipality underlined its commitment to prioritise internal staff for operations and maintenance tasks, reflecting a shift away from the tender system for smaller projects.