Brits residents in North West blame Madibeng Local Municipality for water shortages

Residents of Brits and surrounding areas in the North West are accusing the Madibeng Local Municipality of being responsible for the serious water shortages they are experiencing.

A project to upgrade the water treatment plant and bulk water infrastructure began seven years ago, but has not been completed.

According to the implementing agent, Magalies Water, the project has experienced challenges that include lack of funding and community unrest.

“This project we are accelerating it, the contractual completion is for March 2022. However due to the mandate that we were given, a directive from the minister we are pushing to complete it by December this year. So we going to get additional funding to complete,” says Jimmy Leburu, Magalies Water Project Manager.

Meanwhile, residents in the area say they struggle to get water as the Madibeng Local Municipality only sporadically supplies water tankers.

“The municipality is not giving us water, sometimes they bring the trucks. We do not know where the water is coming from and it takes a while before they bring water,” says a resident.

“In our community we never get promise with water we make plans for water,” says another resident.

South Africa estimated to reach a 17% water deficit by 2030