POLOKWANE – Major opposition parties in the Polokwane Municipal Council, the DA and the EFF, have raised serious concerns over what they describe as a worsening water and sanitation crisis in the city, despite the municipality frequently attributing the problems to ageing infrastructure supplied by Lepelle Northern Water.

Residents are regularly notified of water shortages, sometimes lasting from hours to weeks or even months, while many continue to receive high water bills that appear inconsistent with limited usage during these periods.

EFF demands qualification audits

In recent weeks, the EFF told Polokwane Observer it intends to table a proposal at the next council meeting calling for an audit and verification of professional qualifications of senior officials in the water and sanitation strategic business unit.

The party said the continued presence of senior management had failed to resolve the crisis.

The EFF’s position followed site visits on January 10 to three sanitation projects. One of these was the Polokwane Regional Outfall Sewer project, which the party claims has already cost R92m and is intended to treat 36 megalitres of wastewater per day.

The project is reportedly facing contractor-related challenges.

Municipality cites weather delays and contractor issues

Municipal spokesperson Thipa Selala attributed delays to prolonged heavy rainfall affecting technically sensitive areas, such as the river-crossing pipe bridge, which he said had made it unsafe for contractors to proceed.

Selala further stated that the Ladanna Wastewater Treatment Plant was at “practical completion”.

The EFF, however, raised concerns, citing the South African Human Rights Commission, that the plant is overburdened and receives more than 50 million litres of wastewater daily, far exceeding its optimal capacity.

It was also reported that R2m was allocated for the office phase alone in the current financial year.

EFF Limpopo leader and former Capricorn Mayor Lawrence Mapoulo said leadership incapacity was to blame. “This means the sewer systems cannot keep up with the city’s growing population because critical projects have not been completed, while others require refurbishment,” he said.

DA links vacancies to prolonged service failures

Meanwhile, on January 22, DA councillor Androe Botha called for a formal investigation into the impact of prolonged vacancies and acting appointments in key directorates, particularly water and sanitation.

She said leadership instability had contributed to service delivery failures, noting that areas such as Ster Park, Flora Park and Bendor recently experienced water outages lasting more than 10 days, forcing the municipality to deploy water tankers.

Selala said all allegations against employees and service providers are treated seriously and managed without political interference.