Deputy President Paul Mashatile has unveiled the government’s commitment to address water and electricity challenges in municipalities nationwide.
Spearheaded by the Service Delivery War Room, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) has devised comprehensive strategies for prompt interventions.
These initiatives include the establishment of a Results Management Office and the implementation of reforms within the Municipal Infrastructure Grant.
These reforms aim to allocate funds towards the repair, refurbishment, and upgrading of critical infrastructure.
The Service Delivery War Room is actively exploring sustained deployment of technical experts through the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA).
Mashatile emphasised that the Results Management Office will play a pivotal role in assisting municipalities. Their responsibilities include facilitating demand-side management measures and facilitating access to alternative energy sources.
“These initiatives are aimed at reducing the impact of load-shedding and its effect on substations and transformers,” he said.
“As this government, we are committed to working within the inter-governmental relations framework to ensure that we assist municipalities in delivering services to our people,” Mashatile said.
He highlighted successful collaborations with private entities such as Sishen Mine in the Northern Cape and Anglo Platinum Mine in Limpopo as notable examples of such initiatives.
“These private sector entities have stepped up to fund upgrades at wastewater treatment works,” he said.
Eskom launched the Active Partnering Programme, designed to offer municipalities tailored technical assistance according to their specific requirements.
Their aim is to enhance their capacity to tackle the prevalent issues surrounding the frequent failure of mini substations and transformers.
Deputy President Mashatile informed Parliament about the ongoing legislative process regarding the South African National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency SOC Limited Bill.
This bill seeks to establish the South African National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency as a significant state-owned company and a crucial public entity.
“The agency will enable South Africa to expand our bulk water infrastructure and improve the management of existing water assets to ensure water security over the next decade,” he explained.
Mashatile said government will continue to work to assist municipalities to meet their constitutional obligation to provide reliable water and sanitation services to all South African citizens.
Compiled by Warren Hawkins
