The Democratic Alliance (DA) will write to the Rustenburg Municipal Manager (MM), Victor Makona, requesting clarity on the municipality’s capacity to manage the building pressure in water levels which leads to burst pipes and persistent water cuts.
Last week Thursday, the DA reported a mainline pipe burst to the municipality’s call centre. The water cuts affected two wards and the Waterfall Mall.
In the process of repairing the burst pipe, the team closed the outlet of the reservoir even though there were valves closer to the burst that could be utilised which would affect fewer residents.
On Friday, residents were still without water. The DA made several follow-up calls and was informed that the team was still busy repairing the burst pipe and water would be restored as soon as possible.
After the repair, the water was reopened and the pipe immediately burst again. This is a continuing problem in Rustenburg.
Engineers consulted by the DA have given the methods employed by the municipality in repairing the pipes a resounding thumbs down.
Repairs were redone and in the process, the pressure reducing valve was adjusted down to give additional protection to the pipe but this reduced the intended service area and left streets like Frederick Avenue, Mooney Close and Gita Close without water.
The DA again contacted the Municipal Manager, requesting assistance for the water to be urgently restored but nothing came of it.
On Saturday a technical team was sent out again who spent the rest of the day attempting to diagnose the problem. By late evening most of the residents had water but higher-lying areas such as Frederick Ave and the adjacent streets were still without water.
On 18 July an attempt to contact the Executive Mayor, Mpho Khnou, as well as the Municipal Manager, proved fruitless. Again a team was sent out to investigate the pipe faults with no positive results.
These actions prove that the municipality’s technical team cannot resolve water issues timeously and provide lasting repairs to burst pipes.
The MM needs to provide clarity regarding the municipality’s capabilities, as residents cannot continue to suffer prolonged periods without water due to this incompetence.