Staff Reporter
A Free State municipality has been asked by the provincial government to explain the procedures it followed in the awarding of a contract to build a water pipeline meant to ease the community’s water woes.
Officials at Nketoana Local Municipality – which encompasses the farming towns of Reitz, Petrus Steyn and Lindley among others in the north-eastern region of the province – on Tuesday met with the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Thembeni Nxangisa, and his Treasury counterpart Gadija Brown to explain the status of the contract which has since been put on hold.
“The municipality has suspended the construction of the water pipe,” said CoGTA spokesperson Zolile Lobe in a statement.
“The reason why the pipeline was suspended is to afford the municipality an opportunity to clarify themselves on the supply chain process that was followed in appointing the current contractor of the pipeline,” he added.
The municipality has been dogged by water shortages for several years.
Angry residents have protested several times over the shortages, with some of the protests turning violent.
In July last year, the house of the mayor, Maditswako Mokoena, was set alight by Petrus Steyn residents after water taps in Mandela Park had gone dry for several days.
The municipality has reportedly promised to put together a report, within a week, detailing what is being done to address the shortcomings in the awarding of the contract.
“The municipality will in the meantime continue to provide services to the community and water tankers will be used to supply water,” said Lobe.
Nxangisa pleaded with the community to have patience while the municipality addresses the water shortages dating back almost five years.