VDM's scrapping of unlimited overtime pay hampers service delivery

Louis Trichardt and Tshikota’s water woes continue unabated, with no end in sight to the problem of continuous dry taps while the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM) struggles to keep its proverbial “head above water” amid almost daily breakages and maintenance issues. To add insult to injury, the VDM recently decided to rescind unlimited overtime payments for essential workers, causing a further backlog in maintenance work and resulting in Vhembe residents’ having to go without water for even longer.

When asked about the cancellation of unlimited overtime payments to essential workers, VDM spokesperson Mr Matodzi Ralushai confirmed this on Tuesday but added that, after receiving complaints regarding the availability of workers after hours, the council was in the process of reconsidering its decision. “Council is the highest decision-making body or structure, and all identified challenges will be addressed by the administration,” said Ralushai. He made it clear, however, that the decision only relates to the matter of unlimited overtime. “Overtime is still being paid, but for hours worked within new limitations,” said Ralushai.

The VDM is constantly facing more severe criticism for its complete failure to ensure a continuous water supply to Vhembe residents. The situation has now reached the point of absurdity as dams in the area remain almost full, yet virtually no water is reaching homes. According to the latest figures released by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, the level of the Albasini Dam, from where Louis Trichardt and the surrounding areas receive their main water supply, stood at 90.5% on Monday.

The Vhembe District’s dire water situation recently prompted local Democratic Alliance ward councillor in the Makhado Municipality Pierre Smalle to ask the Department of Water Affairs portfolio chairperson in the National Assembly, Mr Leon Basson, to intervene directly. This request was made at the beginning of August, but, regrettably, Smalle has yet to see any results from this plea for national intervention.

In the meantime, the VDM again shut off the water supply to Louis Trichardt and the surrounding areas because of yet another leak at the Albasini Dam raw-water-treatment plant on 21 August. Since then, taps have remained dry, and on Tuesday this week, yet another pipe burst was reported at the notorious Pump Station 3 on the Albasini line that feeds the Mowcop main reservoir in Louis Trichardt. No indication was given in the notice to residents as to how long repairs would take, other than the statement: “Normal water supply will resume after the repair of the pipe. We apologise for the inconvenience caused.”

When asked about last week’s leak and this week’s latest pipe burst, Ralushai responded on Tuesday afternoon, saying that the maintenance of the pipeline was still in progress and that, once fixed, the flow of water should improve. Once again, residents will surely doubt whether this will indeed be the case.

Date:29 August 2024

By: Andries van Zyl

Andries joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in April 1993 as a darkroom assistant. Within a couple of months he moved over to the production side of the newspaper and eventually doubled as a reporter. In 1995 he left the newspaper group and travelled overseas for a couple of months. In 1996, Andries rejoined the Zoutpansberger as a reporter. In August 2002, he was appointed as News Editor of the Zoutpansberger, a position he holds until today.

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