Govan Mbeki Municipality selected for R7bn Utility Reform Programme
This programme forms part of the government’s broader reform agenda to address persistent water and energy service delivery challenges in Mpumalanga.
The Govan Mbeki Municipality is one of four municipalities in Mpumalanga selected to participate in and benefit from the Municipal Utility Reform Programme (MURP), an initiative aimed at strengthening municipal water and energy services.
Bethal and eMzinoni communities are constantly struggling without water.
According to the municipality, the programme forms part of the government’s broader reform agenda to address persistent water and energy service delivery challenges within selected municipalities in Mpumalanga.
The programme, valued at US$400m, forms part of the broader Just Energy Transition Investment Plan.
Govan Mbeki Municipality media and content developer Donald Green said the programme is linked to a UK-backed guarantee facility provided to the African Development Bank (AfDB) for just energy projects in South Africa.
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“The loan proceeds will be transferred to the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), which will serve as the designated implementing agent.
“The DBSA will establish a dedicated programme management office responsible for coordinating and overseeing the implementation of the programme,” said Green.
Green said a meeting involving National Treasury, the national Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), the DBSA and representatives of the British High Commission was held on August 17 to discuss the programme and its implementation.
For the Govan Mbeki Municipality, the programme is expected to support the rehabilitation and upgrading of water infrastructure in Secunda, Bethal, eMbalenhle, Evander, Kinross, Leandra, Trichardt and Charl Cilliers, based on identified needs and infrastructure assessments.
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“The MURP seeks to address key municipal utility challenges, including ageing infrastructure, water losses, inadequate metering and billing systems, poor revenue collection and maintenance backlogs and through these interventions, the programme aims to improve the reliability and sustainability of municipal services while strengthening the municipality’s ability to maintain infrastructure and manage its utility services effectively,” said Green.
Govan Mbeki Municipality Executive Mayor Nhlakanipho Zuma welcomed the municipality’s participation in the programme, saying it presented an important opportunity to address long-standing infrastructure and water service challenges.
Zuma said: “We welcome this important programme as an opportunity to address some of our long-standing water and infrastructure challenges.
“The programme will assist the municipality in improving infrastructure maintenance, reducing water losses, strengthening metering and revenue systems and, ultimately, improving service delivery to our communities.”
