The score, reportedly the highest in South Africa, measures compliance with water services planning requirements. It is not a water quality rating and does not mean that 86% of the municipality’s water infrastructure is functioning effectively.
Ngwathe’s own Integrated Development Plan states that only 53.6% of households have access to water inside their homes, highlighting the difference between compliance with planning requirements and the water services experienced by residents.
The Democratic Alliance in Ngwathe said it would seek the full WSDP audit, the methodology used to determine the 86% score and the latest water quality results. It also wants information on the physical and operational status of major water projects, as well as details of the municipality’s current bulk water debt and an outstanding supplier account of approximately R42 million.
Municipal financial records add to the concerns. According to the MFMA Circular 124 Municipal Compliance Self-Assessment, service charge receipts stood at R133.9 million by March 2026, compared with a year-to-date budget of R349.1 million – a shortfall of R215.2 million.
The municipality’s full-year forecast also reflected a negative cash position of approximately R694.2 million, while about R29.3 million was reportedly owed to the bulk water provider.
In Koppies, residents continue to experience unreliable water supplies, including Saturday water shedding, while areas such as Extension 5 face ongoing supply problems.
At the same time, approximately R8.1 million – or 81% – of the adjusted R10 million budget for the Koppies-Edenville pipeline had been spent.
Edenville is expected to rely on the Koppies system for its water supply, raising questions about whether the existing system has sufficient capacity to reliably serve both communities while Koppies itself continues to experience shortages.
Progress on water treatment works projects across Ngwathe also varies significantly.
In Parys, one refurbishment project with an adjusted budget of approximately R2.76 million had recorded no expenditure. Another Parys water treatment works project, with an adjusted budget of approximately R39.22 million, had recorded expenditure of R25.13 million.
In Vredefort, approximately R9.95 million of the adjusted R12.59 million budget for a water treatment works upgrade had been spent, representing about 79% of the allocation. The project includes a four-megalitre reservoir scheduled for completion by 31 October 2026.
Municipal records further indicate that the Kwakwatsi bulk water supply line project had recorded no expenditure, while the Heilbron sewer line project stood at 33%. The Heilbron pipeline and elevated tower project had reached 96% expenditure.
Further questions surround an outstanding account of approximately R42 million owed to a service provider involved in maintaining essential water operations in Mokwallo and Tumahole.
The figures raise questions about whether expenditure on water infrastructure is translating into completed and operational projects – and, ultimately, into reliable water services for residents.
The reported WSDP compliance score may demonstrate that certain planning requirements have been met, but it does not tell the full story of water services in Ngwathe.
The municipality’s household water access figures, infrastructure spending, project progress, financial position and continuing supply interruptions point to a more complex reality on the ground.
