THEMBISILE HANI, Mpumalanga — The Thembisile Hani Local Municipality is actively addressing critical water supply challenges, with Mayor Lesetja Dikgale outlining a multi-phase strategy to bridge the gap between the current 45 million litres of daily supply and the required 100 million litres. As local government elections approach, securing reliable water infrastructure and service delivery remains a primary test of municipal leadership in the region.
Speaking on the pressing concerns facing residents, Mayor Dikgale explained that the municipality depends heavily on external authorities for its water. The municipality is contracted to receive 16.6 million litres per day from Rand Water, a target that has not been met. Municipal Manager Dumisani Matangu recently highlighted the severity of this shortfall, noting that the municipality has been receiving as little as 0.35 megalitres from the supplier.
Mayor Dikgale clarified that this has been an ongoing struggle since the current administration took office in 2021, citing persistent operational and pumping machine issues from the supplier’s side. In response to the continued shortfall, the municipality has escalated the matter to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) for intergovernmental intervention. According to the Mayor, COGTA has since engaged firmly with Rand Water and the Department of Water and Sanitation to remedy the situation, emphasizing that access to water is a fundamental constitutional right.
To mitigate immediate risks, the Thembisile Hani Municipality has already completed its own 10-megalitre Bundu water treatment plant, which currently supplies approximately 7.5 million litres to residents in the Kanyane and Bundu areas.
Looking ahead, the municipality has outlined a clear, phased roadmap to achieve water security:
– By March of next year, a new allocation from the Loskop Dam will introduce an additional 20 million litres per day, significantly reducing the current two- to three-day water outage cycles experienced by residents.
– Over the next three financial years, a collaborative project with Rand Water is slated to deliver a further 30 million litres, which will stabilize daily supply.
– By 2028, an agreement with the eMalahleni Municipality will provide an additional 14 million litres, cementing a reliable, long-term water supply for the region.
When questioned about the financial impact of these water shortages and whether funds have been diverted from other basic services, Mayor Dikgale assured that municipal planning remains robust. He referenced a five-pillar strategic framework budgeted since 2021, supported by a “living” program of action that has been reviewed and adjusted 53 times to balance service delivery needs.
The Mayor also highlighted the municipality’s growing internal capacity, noting that the local government is now independently managing road paving and water tankering operations, thereby reducing reliance on private sector service providers and maintaining financial sustainability.
Addressing concerns regarding local infrastructure, the Mayor acknowledged that 116 of the municipality’s 214 boreholes are currently non-operational. However, he clarified that this is a deliberate, cost-benefit decision. The inactive boreholes have exceptionally low yields, making them uneconomical to maintain and operate, while the functional boreholes continue to provide a strong, reliable yield for the communities that depend on them.
With service delivery at the forefront of the upcoming local government elections, the Thembisile Hani Municipality maintains that its structured, multi-tiered approach will resolve the current water supply challenges and meet the constitutional demands of its residents.
