The Democratic Alliance (DA) will insist that the Municipal Manager of Gamagara, Mr Lebogang Seetile, provides council with the so-called “independent report” into water tankering that he commissioned, following his submission that no councillors or officials are benefitting from the contracts that have set the municipality back R72 million over the past five years.
It came to light during the South African Human Rights Commission’s provincial inquiry into the state of the municipality that Gamagara pays R1,2 million per month for water tankering contracts. This same municipality has taken no action to drill additional boreholes in Olifantshoek, to secure increased water source for the residents. The municipality has also failed to procure its own water tankers, choosing instead to remain dependent on “temporary” water tankering contracts.
The DA’s previous requests for the amounts spent on water tankering have been repeatedly ignored, raising our suspicions of irregularities. This includes that the tankering costs never decreased, even when water supply in Olifantshoek improved. This, coupled with growing allegations that the brother of an ANC Ga-Segonyana councillor owns several water trucks that are contracted by Gamagara Municipality, is a red flag and must be urgently investigated.
The DA is also still trying to get answers regarding the security contract costing R2 million per month, that is meant to safeguard infrastructure, including the Olifantshoek boreholes. Last year, eight out of Olifantshoek’s 14 boreholes were vandalized and rendered dysfunctional.
The contract for the use of a Superlink truck, similar to the large ore-hauling vehicles seen on our roads, in the refuse removal process, also needs to be scrutinized. In Kathu, a front-end loader is being used together with the municipality’s trucks to collect refuse bags. Workers walk behind the loader, loading the bags, which are then offloaded onto the “Superlink” truck. This method is extremely costly and inefficient, causing significant damage to existing infrastructure. We suspect that it is done at a high cost to the taxpayer, to enable yet another cadre contractor.
If Gamagara has nothing to hide, the MM will not hesitate to share the water tankering report, and all other related documentation on the security and refuse removal contracts, with council.
Gamagara must be protected from the water mafia and other syndicates whose criminality is bleeding service delivery dry.