The Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality in the North West is seeking intervention from the national government to resolve water challenges in its municipalities following a recent North West High Court judgement brought by Sakeliga.
Sakeliga is a non-profit organisation which went to court to force the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality to ensure that water services are delivered to Ditsobotla, Tswaing, Ramotshere Moiloa and Ratlou municipalities that are struggling to supply residents with water.
Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality has currently taken over reticulation at the Tswaing Local Municipality. But said it intends challenging the court order granted to Sakeliga that obliges it to take over water provision at the Ditsobotla local Municipality.
The Mayor of the District Municipality Khumalo Molefe, said the Ditsobotla Local Municipality was dissolved, had by elections recently and does not have the capacity even to do its own reticulation.
“You will remember that as a district municipality, we have the responsibility to provide bulk water, and the whole of the local municipalities do reticulation.
“Now there is a court order that says as a district we must also perform what is ordinarily a function of a local municipality, which is reticulation.
“That puts a burden financially on us as a district. So we have engaged the provincial government. On Friday I had a meeting with the deputy minister for Water and Sanitation, Judith Tshabalala for intervention.
“On our own as the district, we cannot cope with the collapse of many of our local municipalities with regard to water provision. Tswaing is in the same situation as Ditsobotla and Ramotshere Moiloa.
“Mahikeng is trying its best, but generally, our local municipalities are in a state where they can do reticulation or water provision. And that forces us as a district to come in and assist at a very serious cost,” Molefe said.
