Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi says only the Emfuleni and Merafong municipalities require urgent intervention. This is despite ongoing concerns over finances and service delivery in parts of the province.
Lesufi says other municipalities are showing an improvement, and he remains confident that Johannesburg can recover from its financial challenges.
Lesufi was addressing the media during the launch of 67 decentralised water supply systems in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria.
“Not all our municipalities are going through difficulties. I mean, of the 11 municipalities, it’s only two that are of the strong view that need immediate assistance, which are Merafong as well as Emfuleni. But generally, all the municipalities have been cooperating, and I think they’ve given us their plans. We are meeting this week as the premier and all executive mayors, as we normally do quarterly, to review and have a final report as the term of all these municipalities are about to come to an end, so that we can hand over to the next leadership of local government,” explains Lesufi.
At the same launch, Panyaza Lesufi has said South Africa needs water infrastructure that could meet growing demand.
He says rapid population growth, ageing infrastructure, informal settlements, and illegal water connections are placing increasing pressure on the province’s water network.
“Obviously, there will be challenges across the province. I think the key challenge is that we have accepted that we have to redesign in terms of the population that has arrived in our province; in terms of the old infrastructure; and also in terms of the new developments and the mushrooming of informal settlements and illegal connections. All these things combined, they’ve affected us. That is why we are putting plans, we are putting infrastructure, we are putting resources, we are putting budgets,” he adds.
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