18 December 2024
In July 2022, Brandfort resident Douglas Kheswa told GroundUp they only get tap water about one day per week. The Hawks are now investigating municipal tenders for the refurbishment of the Brandfort Water Treatment Works and raw water pump stations. Photos: Steve Kretzmann
The Hawks raided three of the Free State’s Masilonyana Local Municipality offices earlier this month to collect evidence of maladministration related to tenders for refurbishing a water treatment works plant and the upgrading of a sports centre.
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) said the raids were conducted with the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (the Hawks) on 9 December with a warrant issued by the Welkom Magistrates Court.
They were collecting evidence “to establish whether municipal officials, service providers, or any other involved parties unduly benefited themselves or others, leading to unauthorised, irregular, or fruitless and wasteful expenditure or financial losses for the municipality” said SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago.
Since a presidential proclamation for the investigation was published on 13 September, the SIU had been asking the municipality to supply the required documents voluntarily but were ignored, said Kganyago.
During the search the SIU collected documents and devices “essential for auditing and compliance concerning successful tenders” awarded since 1 January 2013. These included company registration documents, payment records, electronic devices and electronic data, such as emails and “cloud storage information linked to specific personnel”.
The Brandfort Water Treatment Works purifies water from the Erfenis dam, which also supplies the town of Theunissen, the seat of the Masilonyana municipality.
Drinking water in the Brandfort and Theunissen system fails to comply with the minimum potable water quality standards. At present, it has a 0% compliance across all six quality indicators, which suggests the municipality is not even conducting mandatory water quality testing.
The 2023 Blue Drop Report, which presents an audit of South Africa’s drinking water supply systems, noted the water infrastructure in Masilonyana Local Municipality’s towns of Brandfort, Theunissen, Winburg and Verkeerdevlei were in a critical state.
GroundUp in 2022 spoke to residents in Brandfort who said water only flowed through the taps one day per week.
According to the National Treasury Municipal Money site, the Masilonyana Local Municipality has not submitted financial statements to the Auditor-General since at least the 2018/19 financial year.
News radio station OFM in September reported that municipal workers had demanded the removal of Mayor Dimakatso Modise.
We received no response to a request for comment from the municipality.
Drinking water leaks from a water reservoir outside Theunissen in the Masilonyana Local Municipality. The Hawks are investigating tenders for the refurbishment of a water treatment works and pump stations in the municipality.