The Department of Water and Sanitation, the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements, the Emfuleni Local Municipality and Rand Water met today at the Sedibeng District Municipality offices. The purpose of the meeting was to engage with the Municipality and Rand Water to look at agreeing on a payment plan by Emfuleni to Rand Water to ensure continued supply of bulk water services.
The team of officials presented to the political principals that the agreement between the Municipality and Rand Water entails a commitment to pay R150 million on 11 December 2017; with the shortfall of R30 million to be worked into the longer term payment arrangement; which arrangement is broken down into R11 million per month over 24 months.
The Emfuleni Local Municipality has also committed to ensuring a billing system that must be sufficiently responsive as this would enhance compliance with the Systems Act, and give comfort to the Municipality’s clients.
“Part of ensuring long term sustainability of water supply must include addressing the billing challenges. I want to assure residents of Emfuleni residents, business and various other users that we are working on billing improvement, and assure them that there will not be any water cuts and lives will not be interrupted”, said the new Emfuleni Local Municipality Executive Mayor Jacob Khawe.
The department has received at least 11 proposals from various municipalities indicating willingness to pay and come to payment arrangements with the Department of Water and Sanitation
“We welcome the payment agreement and commitment by Emfuleni Local Municipality to ensuring that the water debt is paid. This is a clear indication that our IGR framework is intact, and we are hopeful that other municipalities what owe for water supply will follow closely on the footsteps and example made by Emfuleni”, said Minister Mokonyane.
As Minister Mokonyane had intimated earlier, the agreement between Rand Water and Emfuleni shows some of the ideal outcomes anticipated to result from the engagements between DWS, COGTA (at national and provincial levels), National and GP Treasury, Rand Water and defaulting municipalities. These concrete outcomes have resulted in Emfuleni being assured of security of supply, whilst Rand Water is assured of the recovery of its debt.
For more information contact:
Sputnik Ratau
DWS Director Media Liaison
Cell: 082 874 2942
