In line with presidential directive to find solutions as Gauteng battles with water supply over the past weeks, Minister for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa, accompanied by his Deputy Minster Dr. Dickson Masemola, Deputy Minister for Water and Sanitation, David Mahlobo and the MEC for Infrastructure and Co-operative Governance, Jacob Mamabolo did an oversight visit to Mogale City yesterday.
The high-level delegation visit hosted by the Deputy Mayor of Mogale City Cllr Bongani Nkosi was prompted by ongoing water supply disruptions that have affected several areas across Gauteng Province, including communities within Mogale City.
During the briefing, municipal Water Services officials reported that Mogale, like many other municipalities in Gauteng, is facing ongoing water supply challenges, with Kagiso identified as one of the most severely affected areas. The Kenmare, Azaadville, and Kagiso reservoirs were highlighted as being critically low due to reduced pumping capacity from the municipality’s bulk water supplier, Rand Water, which is struggling to balance demand that currently exceeds available supply across the province.
Partly triggered by questions from the delegation, the water technical team further outlined infrastructure design challenges, noting that certain areas located close to reservoirs are often the first to experience water shortages during supply interruptions.
Addressing the delegation, Minister Hlabisa expressed concern over the prolonged water outages particularly in Kagiso and indicated that an additional team would be deployed within seven days to support, assess progress and ensure that water supply is restored.
Engineers from the National Department of Water and Sanitation will also engage with Mogale’s technical team to strengthen capacity and assist in developing long-term solutions. This includes support from the Municipal Infrastructure Agency (MISA) to deploy skilled technical personnel to work alongside Mogale’s Water Services team in identifying long-term sustainable solutions to stabilise water supply.
As part of the programme, the delegation visited the Kagiso Reservoir with technical officials to assess water levels and conditions on the ground to gain a clearer understanding of the infrastructure challenges affecting the municipality.
The hosting was supported by Mogale’s MMC for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Peter Modise, and MMC for Human Settlements, Councillor Meriam Mogoje