The DA is calling on the Executive Mayor of Capricorn District Municipality(CDM), Mamedupi Teffo, to urgently investigate the incomplete water projects in Blouberg municipality. (See photos here, here ,here and here)
CDM in their legislated capacity as Water Service Authority (WSA) as well as Water Service Provider (WSP) to Blouberg, funded water projects in 2023 in excess of R213 million, most of which remain incomplete:
- R38 million at Devrede ,Ward 15 , incomplete water project
- R51 million at Grootpan, Sias, Longdon and Ramaswikana, Ward 17, incomplete water projects
- R35 million at Taaiboschgroet, Ward 18 water project incomplete water project
- R9.3 million at Kromhoek ,Ward 15 ,incomplete water project
- R37 million at Milbank incomplete water project
- R26 million at Nailana incomplete water project
- R3.7 million at Branan incomplete water project
- R4 million Pax Intantibus incomplete portable water purification at a cost of R4 million
The Devrede March 2023 water project had a 9 months timeframe, the construction of the main pipes are complete but the water storage material was delivered but not yet assembled.
House connection pipes without taps were done and for the last 2 years not a single drop of water came out of these pipes; four boreholes were dropped to mitigate the shortfalls of the R38 million project.
Communities struggle to obtain clean water daily, residents are forced to buy water at R25 for a 210 litre tank from private suppliers and some residents have to walk to two kilometres to fetch water with drums.
Most villages in Blouberg are still struggling to access clean water which is a constitutional right currently being denied to them by CDM.
The DA urges the CDM Mayor to investigate the incomplete water projects and to hold officials and service providers accountable for the unacceptable delay to provide the communities of Blouberg with water.