Celani Sikhakhane
The collapse of the uMkhanyakude District Municipality in the far north of KZN has led to its failure to pay the water service provider for more than three months.
Dreyer Senekal, the owner of the biggest dam in Jozini, told Scrolla.Africa he is planning to withdraw his services.
This means schools, hospitals, police stations and other critical institutions may run out of water soon.
The district is one of the poorest in the province and is in the midst of a severe drought. The District Municipality is facing political instability and it has also failed to approve its annual budget.
Senekal said that he has been fighting for his payments but no one is willing to account for them or even respond to him.
“My biggest worry is that once I withdraw my services, many people will suffer but I don’t have any choice,” said Senekal.
“As I render my services without being paid, I lose a lot of money for electricity and other equipment to pump and clean the water.”
UMkhanyakude communications manager, Mduduzi Dlamini, revealed that the Municipality is in financial crisis and Senekal is not the only service provider who has not been paid.
“The council was supposed to approve the budget in May but the situation continued until the council failed to meet the 30 June deadline to submit its report to the Provincial Treasury,” he said.
“We don’t even have money in our account to pay the salaries of the workers.”
He said the matter has since been resolved and they are waiting for their annual budget which should be deposited in the first week of September.
He promised that all service providers, including Senekal will be paid by the second week of September.
