Rand Water a company contracted to supply water to some municipalities in Mpumalanga has vowed to continue with its credit control measures to compel its clients to settle their water bills.
The City of Mbombela and the Bushbuckridge municipalities respectively owe the company millions of rands which resulted in the company reducing their bulk water supply.
Bushbuckridge municipality owes over R2 million and Mbombela R2,4 million.
Rand Water spokesperson Justice Mohale says the Bushbuckridge municipality has on numerous occasions failed to honour agreements entered into.
“On many occasions we have met the officials of the municipality to remind them, and to request them to settle their account, but on many occasions the municipality and Rand Water would reach an agreement on how the money should be paid – but the municipality could not adhere to those agreements; every time when the time comes to pay they will break the agreement, and now Rand Water decided to restrict the flow of water to that municipality.”
Meanwhile, the Bushbuckridge local municipality claims that it has always been paying the water debt to Rand Water.
Spokesperson of the municipality Aubrey Mnisi says in the past financial year, R2 hundred and 40 million was paid to Rand Water.
Mnisi has also disputed the claim that it owes Rand Water over R2 million.
“We have made a commitment that was signed by Rand Water and Bushbuckridge that we are going in the meantime to pay R16 million for bulk water; however Rand Water is demanding R23 million every month. The dispute arises from the incorrect billing that the Rand Water is billing the municipality because we are questioning that in most of the reservoirs there are no water metres, and also the bulk line in some areas there are some leakages.”
