Mchunu: 99% of municipalities battle ageing infrastructure, shoddy water and sanitation
Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu has admitted that almost all the country’s municipalities are battling to efficiently deliver basic services to residents.
Mchunu says in recent engagements with water board authorities at municipalities, officials cited ageing infrastructure, a lack of skills and inadequate funding as obstacles.
Mchunu delivered the department’s budget vote before a parliamentary committee on Friday where he tabled a R111.3 billion combined budget for the medium-term.
This includes allocations of R34 billion for the 2022/23 financial year, R37 billion for 2023/24 and over R38 billion for 2024/25 period.
He later told journalists the budget would also cater for interventions to embattled municipalities.
“The only way is to intervene. It’s pragmatic, it is practical to say let’s intervene and assist them,” he told media in a post-budget vote briefing.
“Here in Tshwane we are collaborating with Human Settlements to try and get Tshwane to use their budget to rehabilitate the river system and their dam and then water to Hammanskraal. It is those interventions that we are now doing, aside from key projects.”
The portfolio’s regional bulk infrastructure grant will be spent on 113 different projects across the country.
Mchunu also vowed to root out corruption in a bid to turn the department around.
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