BLOEMFONTEIN – The Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation Dr Jack Bloom conducted onsite visits of two of the delipidated Water Treatment Plants in Mangaung on Monday 12 October.

Bloom was shocked at the state of the Sterkwater Waste Water Plant. Although partially operational, raw sewage flows past the plant and ends up directly in the Renosterspruit. A new part was built about 10 years ago at Sterkwater, but it was never completed. Only the concrete structure was completed, but the screws were never installed and the dams were never put into operation. The old plant that has to do the work in the meantime is out of order.

Solomzi Henge, Sanitation Manager of the Mangaung Metro, says reparations to restore the old plant, will be done by January. In answer to a question by Bloom, Henge says if the money is available, the new plant can by up and running in around 18 months, with some of the equipment still needed to be ordered.

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Henge said around R2 billion is needed to get the metro’s 13 water treatment plants fully operational. He said the Sterkwater plant requires around R600 million to get to the point where it is working at full capacity. As it is now, the old plant is in poor condition and chances are that it will fail again soon, Henge warned.

Bloom visited Mangaung after several urgent requests including that of the DA who requested him on 20 August to conduct an official oversight visit to Mangaung.

Dirk Kotze, DA Council Member, asked the Deputy Minister to see the severe deterioration of water and sanitation and the ongoing failures previously identified by the Auditor-General and the South African Human Rights.

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Kotze said the AG has repeatedly reported that the municipality has failed to prevent the pollution of water resources at the Botshabelo, Sterkwater and Thaba Nchu Wastewater Treatment Works. “Untreated or inadequately treated sewage continues to contaminate groundwater and rivers, while the accounting officer has failed to take appropriate corrective action despite material irregularities being identified and referred to the Department of Water and Sanitation.”

Bloom also accompanied officials and members of the DA to the Renoster Spuit downstream from the Sterkwater Plant where the sewerage and pollution can clearly be seen.

Kotze said the situation in Mangaung has reached a critical point. “Residents continue to endure persistent sewage spills, failing wastewater treatment works, deteriorating water infrastructure, polluted rivers and streams, and repeated interruptions to basic water services. These failures are not isolated incidents, but are indicative of a systemic deterioration in governance, infrastructure management and service delivery.”

He explained that after a council decision in 2024, the Department of Water and Sanitation will function as a separate services business unit of the metro. This decision came into effect on 1 July, ring fencing the income from the departments to be used for upgrades and maintenance of these departments of the metro.

Bloom said at Sterkwater the metro’s waste water plants holds great opportunity for additional income, like generating of power.

He will now do recommendations to his department after his visit to the metro.