18/06/2026
WHY IS THERE NO WATER IN YOUR TAPS:
Maintenance issues at Nooitgedacht and Kabah Water Treatment plants means we can’t produce bulk water optimally at these plants. Add to this the fact that there are 7500 unattended leaks in the system currently and a massive deficit exists which means there are not enough water for everyone (although our dams runneth over)
WHY CAN’T THE METRO FIX POTHOLES:
This is a bit baffling but apparently there is no contract available to purchase tar. This is why civil society and the DA is now funding certain pothole repairs. This is mostly done with cold tar which is a temporary solution. There are currently an estimated 20 000 potholes in NMB-we can’t self fund even 10% of those repairs.
WHY CAN’T THE CITY FIX STREETLIGHTS:
There was corruption with a R35 million streetlight tender that has been investigated by the SIU. Over a period of more than two years the backlog in streetlight repairs grew to a staggering 22000 (nearly one out of every two). Late last year the City rolled out a new tender for streetlights. However the contract was mismanaged and most contractors downed tools as they were not being paid. It now seems as if there is not enough money to pay contractors in the current financial year.
WHY CAN’T I REPORT COMPLAINTS AT THE CALL CENTRE OR MUNICIPAL APP:
All landlines and internet connections in the metro are offline due to non-payment to the service provider. The metro says ‘it’s because of a dispute on the account’ but it would seem that non-payment is the cause. The cellphones of ward councillors are now the only entry point into the system BUT that is the same line the must used to phone officials to try and resolve issues. So imagine a ward with on average 20000 people all trying to phone their ward councillor in order to report something. It’s a stuff-up of note.
WHAT CAN I DO?
Forget rates boycotts or protesting. Channel your anger into positive change. This weekend is registration weekend. There is but one way out of this mess and it’s a political solution. The DA can fix this mess but then YOU must appoint us. Ask yourself if are YOU doing enough to convince the apathetic potential voters to go and register so that they can vote. Those that think they are immune to the lack of service delivery? There is no borehole deep enough or solar system big enough to isolate you from a collapsing City. When a City collapses businesses and people disinvest. This is why we fight together in order to get NMB working again.
Not convinced yet? Check our offer out here:
https://ec.da.org.za/2025/10/our-vision-for-our-city
Now let’s roll up our sleeves and fix this mess.🇿🇦
Retief Odendaal
