Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, David Mahlobo has urged for an improved  coordination between the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), Rand Water, the  Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), and the Emfuleni  Local Municipality to ensure that efforts to restore services in the municipality are realised.

Deputy Minister Mahlobo, accompanied by the Deputy Minister for Public Service and Administration, Pinky Kekana and Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Jacob Mamabolo conducted an urgent visit to a site experiencing the  sewerage spillage that was causing an environmental hazard in Hamilton Road, Evaton, in the Emfuleni Municipality on Thursday, 21 November 2024 and addressed the multi-institution 
teams on site.

Technical teams from the DWS, Rand Water and the Emfuleni Municipality’s Metsi-a-Lekwa worked around the clock to unblock an overflowing manhole in Evaton, that was spilling sewerage due to blockages on the sewer line.

During the operation, which included the use of laparoscopic cameras and honey sucker  machinery, the teams were able to remove a large debris consisting of objects such a large stone, wires, rags and plastics that were dumped inside the waste water infrastructure by  members of the community and led to the pipeline being blocked and the manhole overspilling into the stream, which connects to the Rietspruit tributary and ultimately the Vaal River.

Deputy Minister Mahlobo urged residents to take pride in the infrastructure that exists in their communities as it is meant to serve them, and further called on them to work with government and report any form of vandalism or theft of water infrastructure in their area.

The Emfuleni Municipality is currently under Section 63 of the Water Services Act invoked by the Ministry of Water and Sanitation in 2021, in order to intervene and address sewer spillages that were polluting the environment and the Vaal River due to collapsed waste water systems in the municipality. This after the municipality was placed under administration by the Gauteng  provincial government.

The DWS then appointed Rand Water as an implementing agent to implement the Sedibeng Sewer Scheme Project and Vaal River System Interventions through the Emfuleni Section 63 intervention in the Sedibeng District through the refurbishment and upgrading of the waste water treatment plants and related infrastructure in order to restore functioning of waste water systems in the municipality. The work is currently underway, and notable progress has been 
made thus far.

These include refurbishment and upgrade of Sebokeng Wastewater Treatment Works which is currently being salvaged and upgraded from 100 megalitres (M/L) a day to a further 50 M/L a day, Leeuwkuil Wastewater Treatment Plant’s capacity is in the process of being increased  from 36 M/L a day to 51 M/L per day, Rietspruit Wastewater Treatment works, replacements and upgrading of associated infrastructure such as pump stations, rising mains and pipelines.

In 2023, through the Section 63 intervention, the municipality was handed 36 fleet including trucks, bakkies and TLBs to respond to daily water and sanitation issues in the municipality.

Deputy Ministers Mahlobo and Kekana and MEC Mamabolo met with the technical team to receive a progress report on the work on site on the Section 63 intervention currently being  implemented to address the spillages in municipality.

“As Government, we need to improve the coordination of our work. The structure between the  Department of Water and Sanitation, Rand Water, the Provincial Government, the District and the local municipality is going to be resuscitated.

The structure will be chaired by myself and MEC Mamabolo.

“And the technical teams, we direct to treat the Emfuleni Intervention in the same manner that Rand Water is dealing with the three metros in terms of water supply. The technical teams must meet regularly and at times, many times a day when dealing with emergency situations  such as the water challenges or pipe burst and spillages. For long term, we say that national government must continue to support Emfuleni, as its situation is dire.

“The proposed Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that has been proposed for the municipality aimed at enhancing the provision of water and sanitation services is an important instrument and mechanism around bringing in resources that will restore service delivery,” said Deputy  Minister Mahlobo.

MEC Mamabolo also concurred with the Deputy Minister and emphasised that all three spheres of government needed to align and work in a coordinated manner to ensure that all services are restored in the municipality.

For more information, contact: 
Wisane Mavasa
Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation 
Cell: 060 561 8935 
E-mail: mavasaw@dws.gov.za 

Theo Nkonki
Spokesperson for Gauteng MEC for Infrastructure Development and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Jacob Mamabolo 
Cell: 082 719 6404 
E-mail: theo.nkonki@gauteng.gov.za