At the most recent Budget, Treasury and IDP (BTI) Portfolio committee meeting, the question of when the water saving campaign will eventually be implemented was brought up.
At the most recent Budget, Treasury and IDP (BTI) Portfolio committee meeting, the question of when the water saving campaign will eventually be implemented was brought up.
Councillor Julia Wells brought the committee’s attention to the 2009/2010 Service Delivery Budget Implementation Plan.
One of the Key Performance indicators was in devising plans on addressing water or electricity distribution losses on a continuous basis.
Looking at the monthly progress of the plan, she said the Chief Financial Officer, Jackson Ngcelwane pointed out that the council hasn’t yet received statistics regarding water distribution losses, making it difficult to monitor.
“But we do note we are very far into our water emergency and drought condition.” She listed some leakages, including a number of public taps, that are being used extensively without permission.
“It relays to the question where we are with this water saving campaign?” She said they are constantly told the same story that it is tied up in a tender process, but it is becoming more and more imperative to control the use of water in Makana because of the severe drought.
Councillor Zonwabele Mantla said he agrees with Wells when it comes to the leakages and misuse of water. “If you go to the old age home in Joza, there is one tap there. You see people around Joza washing their cars there and leave their own taps at home to use this tap. Now who pays for that tap?”
He mentioned another communal tap in Eluxolweni where people transport large containers via donkey cart to collect water and ignore their taps at home to save on payments.
Councillor Luyanda Nase alerted the committee to leaking taps in RDP houses and asked who is addressing the issue as local dams are running low.
Councillor Thandeka Veliti spoke about a communal tap in Kwaloki that was once used by a clinic and a food garden but is now being used for a car wash.
She said she has reported the problem to the Municipal Manager. “In Wood Street, E up to D Street, you see people are collecting water. As Mantla said, you see donkey carts full of water. That means that the tap must be closed down.”
She said no one is taxed for the use of that tap. “Grahamstown has been declared as a drought area so the municipal policies must be reaffirmed,” she said.
BTI Portfolio Committee Chairperson, Ntsikelelo Stamper recommended that Wells formulate a recommendation to capture their concerns around the leakages and misuse of water.
Nase said it was important to put it across that they were not against people “making businesses”, but the municipality must be more involved in conserving our natural resources.
“We have put water restrictions but we are not enforcing them. We can’t sit and do nothing, the problem is getting worse,” he added.
Ngcelwane spoke of other municipalities that have adopted stepped tariffs to regulate the use of water, but this would mean recommending an amendment to the tariff policy.
Veliti advised Stamper to raise these concerns – which are not for them to decide –with the Municipal Manager.
In agreement with Veliti, Wells said that a report is needed from the Municipal Manager’s side to address these issues.
“This is a priority that is urgent. If water levels are finished we will be the victims as we will be blamed for this,” said Veliti.
Ngcelwane said he is aware of the urgency and said a recommendation needs to be made for the council to consider and approve a stepped tariff policy.
