Water and Sanitation minister, Senzo Mchunu, says his department will allocate R6 billion to district municipalities in the Eastern Cape to ensure that they fulfil their mandate as water services authorities.
Over R2 billion of that will be shared between the OR Tambo and Alfred Nzo district municipalities.
Mchunu says the money will be made available to the district municipalities during the current 2023/2024 municipal financial year, which began on Saturday, July 1.
The announcement was made during the Premier’s Inter-Governmental Forum, hosted by Eastern Cape premier, Oscar Mabuyane, at Dan’s Lodge outside Mthatha, on Tuesday, June 27.
“Contrary to the narrative that government is not investing in water and sanitation infrastructure, this financial year municipalities will see the department investing over R6 billion through various grants to Eastern Cape district municipalities as water services authority,” said Mchunu.
He further cautioned district municipalities who are under-performing in ensuring citizens have access to clean drinking water that they face the danger of being stripped of their water provision status.
“We are going to separate water service authority from water service provision. That a district municipality is a water service authority is not going to guarantee they are water service providers, as that creates a player and referee scenario when it comes to provision of water,” added Mchunu.
He said that only those municipalities who demonstrate they can be a water service authority and provider at the same time will perform the dual roles, whilst those who are not performing will be stripped of their provider status.
Mabuyane welcomed the R6 billion investment saying the provincial government will closely monitor the district municipalities in ensuring water is provided to the citizens of the province.
Mchunu also announced that the multibillion rand Mzimvubu Water Project will finally take off this year, adding that the actual construction of the Ntabelanga Dam, an integral part of the project, will begin before the end of this year.
Minister of Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, also attended the inter-governmental forum at Mabuyane’s invitation.
