A previous version of this statement was issued in error and should be disregarded.
The Democratic Alliance in the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality acknowledges the hardship faced by residents and businesses during the recent water and power outages in Ward 11 and Phalaborwa’s Light Industrial Area, and stands in solidarity with the community. We remain deeply concerned about the continued deterioration of critical infrastructure, and committed to holding the ANC-led local and district municipalities to account.
We will continue to advocate for urgent infrastructure upgrades, improved maintenance, and proper long-term planning to ensure reliable service delivery for all communities in Phalaborwa.
The recent water and electricity outages that affected Ward 11 and parts of the Light Industrial Area from Tuesday, 11 November, until Thursday, 13 November, began with a major pipe burst in Molengraaf Street—yet another consequence of Phalaborwa’s ageing and severely deteriorated water network. Much of the system consists of old pipelines and valves that were removed and never replaced, or left broken, leaving the network extremely vulnerable.
While repair teams were attending to the initial burst, a second pipe on the same line failed later that afternoon, further prolonging the crisis. Repairs were again delayed—this time by a shortage of materials and replacement components—extending the time required to restore supply.
During the repair process, tree roots were found intertwined with nearby electrical cables, creating a hazardous working environment. Electricians were forced to disconnect the electricity supply to ensure safety until the water infrastructure was secured. This left residents without both water and electricity for 3 to 4 days, during extreme temperatures reaching close to 40°C.
Simultaneously, a separate cable fault in the Light Industrial Area caused a prolonged four-day electricity outage. This had a severe impact on local businesses, many of which were forced to rely on generators—an expensive and unsustainable measure—to maintain operations and productivity.
Phalaborwa’s ageing infrastructure urgently requires comprehensive refurbishment and replacement. The systems are also unable to accommodate the increasing demand created by ongoing development, including illegal and unapproved buildings, which continue to place significant pressure on essential services such as water and electricity. We have long advocated for the rehabilitation and replacement of our ageing infrastructure, to no avail.
At the core of the collapse in municipal service delivery is the ongoing bad, wasteful, corrupt, irresponsible, and inept governance of the Ba-Phalaborwa local and the Mopani district municipalities under the ANC.
We share the anger and frustration of the community. Next year’s municipal elections will give us all the opportunity to vote for good, progressive, and responsible governance under the leadership of the DA.