Emfuleni, Rand Water agree on payment plan

Friday, December 1, 2017

The Emfuleni Local Municipality has committed to paying R150 million to Rand Water on 11 December 2017.

The municipality made the commitment on Friday during a meeting between the Department of Water and Sanitation, the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements, the Emfuleni Local Municipality and Rand Water.

The meeting, held at the Sedibeng District Municipality offices, was aimed at finding an agreement regarding a payment plan by Emfuleni to Rand Water to ensure the continued supply of bulk water services.

A team of officials presented the agreement between the municipality and Rand Water to political principals entailing a commitment to pay R150 million on 11 December 2017. A shortfall of R30 million is to be worked into a longer term payment arrangement, which is broken down into R11 million per month over 24 months.

The Emfuleni Local Municipality also committed to ensuring its billing system is sufficiently responsive to enhance compliance with the Local Government Municipal Systems Act and give comfort to the municipality’s clients.

“Part of ensuring the long term sustainability of water supply must include addressing the billing challenges. I want to assure residents of Emfuleni, business and various other users that we are working on billing improvement, and assure them that there will not be any water cuts and lives will not be interrupted,” said the new Emfuleni Local Municipality Executive Mayor, Jacob Khawe.

Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane welcomed the agreement and commitment by the municipality to ensure the water debt is paid.

She said the department was hopeful that other municipalities which are in debt for water supply will follow the example made by Emfuleni.

The department has received at least 11 proposals from various municipalities indicating willingness to come to payment arrangements with the Department of Water and Sanitation

The agreement is one of the ideal outcomes of engagements between the department, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Departments at national and provincial levels, National and Gauteng Treasury, Rand Water and defaulting municipalities.

These concrete outcomes have resulted in Emfuleni being assured of security of supply, while Rand Water is assured of the recovery of its debt. – SAnews.gov.za