Mounting debt leads to water woes in Mpumalanga
Rand Water has reduced water pressure to two of Mpumalanga municipalities due to a failure to settle outstanding debts.
The municipalities include the Victor Khanye Municipality, which covers areas such as Delmas, Botleng , Eloff, and Sundra.
The water supply to the municipality has been reduced by 60%,
It owes Rand Water some R85 million.
The second municipality is the Govan Mbeki Municipality, which covers the Bethal, Embalenhle, Leandra, and Kinross in the province.
The municipality owns the water utility over R87 million.
Rand Water's Justice Mohale says payment is due on the January 31, but refused to confirm what steps would be taken should the payments not be made.
"We hope that they will pay as agreed, but what I can say now is that it doesn't mean these municipalities don't pay. They do pay but not in line with the invoices that we issue to them.
"We negotiate with them, we engage them on regular basis, and they say that they will but not in full.”
Mohale says Rand Water has implemented these credit control actions to compel the municipalities to meet their obligations and settle their accounts.