The commission said the metro had failed to manage the situation over a prolonged period that had resulted in a regression in the quality of water provided to residents. One of the key recommendations calling for the national government to take over the running of the city of Tshwane's water and sanitation due to poor management is yet to be implemented. "The action plan is putting pressure point on the city to say that there are recommendations that have been issued by the human rights commission and so what are you going to do about it. When we take you to court, what are you going to do as a municipality to ensure that the residents of Hammanskraal and surrounding areas are going to trust you enough to say that this historical challenge that has been long going has to be dealt with," said Buga. She vided to the cholerahit area to said the commission's officials acceptable standards. observed that certain parts of Mayor Cilliers Brink said the the the plant were working. money, which would stretch "I think that there has to be a over the next three financial continuous maintenance, not years, was still not enough to everything is in place so the af upgrade Rooiwal, and external fluent will continuously be funding was still needed. flowing.., then straight to TemHe said the city was in partba water plant. nership with the Development "If nothing is done on this Bank of Southern Africa to asside, if the sludge under afflu sist with the upgrades. He said, ent is not cleaned properly currently thousands of housethen the water that is flowing holds in the city relied on waout of this plant will still be ter tankers, which were costly. contaminated and taken to the "The problem that we have Temba purification plant, with the quality of Hammanwhich might not be able to skraal water is that the Rooiclean it properly and this will wal wastewater treatment impact the surrounding areas. plant has reached its capacity "The water going into the and we don't have the money Apies River still has impuri or the expertise to fix it quickly ties. When there's full clock enough. wise maintenance of the afflu"It is a problem that has ence here, it does impact the come for almost two decades quality of water in Hamman and with every year the popuskraal.

It is still not safe to lation of Hammanskraal drink tap water," Buga said. grows. With every year the inEarlier yesterday, the city frastructure deteriorates, but said it had approved a R450m importantly, there was also budget for the upgrades at mismanagement at Rooiwal Rooiwal. The upgrade will im which has to be faced," Brink prove the quality of water pro said. He said there had been various instances of tender irregularities "which has also had the effect of making what now needs to be done more complicated and more expensive". The tender to upgrade Rooiwal was awarded to corruption accused, ANC benefactor Edwin Sodi, whose consortium did half the work and was allegedly paid R292m, the full value of the contract. Five Tshwane metro employees are undergoing disciplinary hearings for their role in the irregular awarding of the tender in 2019. The employees, who sat on the bid evaluation committee, all scored Sodi's consortium 80 points for the tender, despite the company not fitting the grade, placing it above other bidders. Department of water and sanitation directorgeneral Dr Sean Phillips has announced that Magalies Water will install a potable water treatment plant at its Klipdrift water treatment plant near Hammanskraal. Gauteng Provincial Office

Source: Sowetan