Home News Warrenton site visit leaves MP ‘shocked’

Warrenton site visit leaves MP ‘shocked’

667

ACDP Member of Parliament Marie Sukers expressed shock and disbelief at the manner in which Magareng Local Municipality is handling the water crisis in Warrenton.

Construction has been halted and not a single worker was on site. Picture: Soraya Crowie

AFRICAN Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) Member of Parliament Marie Sukers expressed shock and disbelief at the manner in which Magareng Local Municipality is handling the water crisis in Warrenton.

Sukers this week paid an oversight visit to Warrenton’s multimillion-rand water treatment plant and the collapsed main water pipeline that runs across the Vaal River.

The MP, who led a delegation of concerned community members and the media on Wednesday, found no workers at the sites.

Warrenton residents have been experiencing water woes for years and depended on a water treatment plant that was built back in 1972.

Fingers were pointed at the municipality, with residents blaming a lack of commitment from the local authority with regard to the expansion and reconstruction of the treatment plant, for which R84 million has been budgeted.

ALSO READ: ACDP looks to intervene in Warrenton water woes

According to the municipality, the existing plant can no longer accommodate the expansion of the Warrenton community as some informal settlements are becoming formal.

Work on the project was reportedly supposed to be completed in 2021.

The problem has since worsened and work delayed by the recent floods.

An interim solution was sought by the municipality, with an amount of R5.5 million budgeted, and work on this was supposed to have been completed already, but has still not been.

Eyebrows were raised when work suddenly came to a standstill at the site, while workers were sent back home.

The municipality has been providing residents with water, but this does not seem to be enough and the process is surrounded by controversy.

ALSO READ: Warrenton water crisis: Disabled struggle to access water

Following her inspection of the pipeline at the Vaal River, Sukers was physically removed from the R84-million water treatment plant by security officers.

After she introduced herself and relayed the purpose of her visit, the security officers told her that they do not know and she and members of the delegation were pushed out of the gate while thirsty residents watched on.

ALSO READ: Taps still dry in Warrenton

The delegation spent almost three hours at the plant trying to reason with the security officers and Magareng Municipality.

The police were also called to the plant and went as far as escorting the delegation to the municipality after they were instructed to get special permission.

At the municipality, the delegation engaged with the municipal spokesperson, Thapelo Jacobs, who granted permission.

Upon returning to the plant, the security again refused the delegation entrance.

Jacobs was called to the site and once again granted permission, but urged the delegation to wait for safety helmets as a security measure.

ALSO READ: More water woes for Warrenton

The delegation waited for another half an hour for the hard hats, which never arrived, and the inspection then proceeded.

Just like at the river, there were no workers on site, except for the municipal workers who were busy filling the water tankers, the security guards and two police officers.

The contractor only arrived at the plant during all the commotion.

He introduced himself as Cedric Netononda, but was unable to go into detail as to why there were no workers on site.

He said he was contracted to do upgrades on the plant in 2021. The work was apparently supposed to be completed within a year.

Netononda said there had been many delays for a number of reasons.

“Delays can be prompted by many reasons ranging from weather, floods, delays from suppliers and protests,” he said.

Sukers meanwhile expressed shock and disbelief with the manner in which she and her colleagues were manhandled by the “arrogant” security officers.

She said she was “disappointed” with what she had managed to see at the plant.

She slammed the municipality for wasting taxpayers’ money and compromising residents’ safety.

“It is disturbing to learn that R84 million of taxpayers’ money was spent on this but nothing is happening,” said Sukers.

“I came here after complaints from the community, who have been without water for three months.

“The municipality had an interim solution after the floods and should have completed this project to the value of R5.5 million. The water problems have only increased after the floods, leaving the community desperate for clean water.”

A concerned community member, Jan Louw, highlighted that no infrastructure project ever succeeds in Warrenton because of a lack of accountability and planning.

He said there are many people with expertise in Warrenton who are overlooked due to their political affiliations.

“The municipality never listens to anybody. Even this project of fixing the temporary pipe and the permanent pipe is stillborn. We are waiting for them to prove otherwise.

“The only successful project that has existed in my lifetime in Warrenton in 54 years is the building of the main bridge leading to Jan Kempdorp,” said Louw.

Water tankers are filled to supply certain areas with water while other areas have apparently remained without water for more than three weeks. Picture: Soraya Crowie
During a site visit to the Warrenton wastewater treatment plant, a municipal official chose not to escort the ACDP official around the site as he considered it a construction site and dangerous. With him is Jonathan Sukers, a member of the ACDP. Picture: Soraya Crowie

Contractor Cedric Netononda was unable to give clarity as to when the project will be completed or how much money has been spent thus far. Picture: Soraya Crowie
Three years after the initial project started, it is yet to be competed. Picture: Soraya Crowie
During a site visit by ACDP MP Marie Sukers to the Warrenton wastewater treatment plant, not a single worker was seen on site. Picture: Soraya Crowie

ACDP MP Marie Sukers conducted site visits in Warrenton, where it was found that the pipe that would supply the town with temporary water has been abandoned as the river is apparently too deep to work in. Picture: Soraya Crowie

No workers were on site where the water pipes are supposed to be connected to supply water to Warrenton as a temporary solution. Picture: Soraya Crowie

Previous articleTriple murder accused linked by cellphone activity
Next articleCity police station makes ‘worst’ list