The DA has written to CoGHSTA MEC, Basikopo Makamu, about concerns regarding the lack of new water infrastructure and the failure to maintain existing infrastructure in the Hoedspruit area.
The current water infrastructure is aging and dilapidated and has resulted in pipes bursting constantly and prolonged water disruptions. The current water reservoir in use was built for use by the Hoedspruit Air Force Base but years ago, an agreement was reached to provide water to a much smaller Hoedspruit town. The town has continued to grow and the Mopani District Municipality (MDM) and Maruleng Local Municipality (MLM) have failed to keep up with the water infrastructure development to meet the town’s needs.
MDM has failed dismally as the Water Service Authority. It has spent millions with nothing to show in terms of functional water infrastructure for residents. MDM built a pipe from Zandspruit (next to the entrance of Hoedspruit High School) to Obaro, and it is still not functional almost a decade later. The R 28 million project which was supposed to provide bulk water to Hoedspruit town was never completed due to bad planning and unprecedented incompetence.
The MLM has also failed through poor planning, failing to control the increasing residential density and the reckless approval of new projects in Hoedspruit, that has put an impossible burden on the water purification system that is already 150% over capacity.
The poorly controlled rapid growth of the town characterized by new developments such as the new housing project behind the clinic, puts a massive strain on the already overburdened system. Further developments in the town such as the new hospital, new mall and estates that continue approving the development of more houses, pushes this system to breaking point.
The neglect of water infrastructure threatens the economic outlook of the Hoedspruit area. The Eastgate Airport partially receives water from the Air Force base. The application for an international airport and the massive development at the terminal will increase the demand for water that the current system just cannot provide.
The mismanagement of the water infrastructure has left the system on the brink of collapse and very soon homes and businesses will experience water shortages on a daily basis. These municipalities are not able to manage the water system in this area and have failed to create any new infrastructure for the past 30 years and urgent attention is needed.
The DA is committed to ensuring that the water infrastructure in Hoedspruit is developed to keep up with urbanisation and the town’s water needs.