Tshwane Mayor says City’s R621 million water tanker bill stems from years of neglect

Tshwane Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya has moved to clarify reports that the city spent R777 million on water tankers since the ANC–EFF–ActionSA coalition took office.

Moya explained that the figure includes purchase orders dating back to 2020.

"The R777 million is the screenshot from our subsystem, which talks to the purchase order. So, it's a procurement activity, not the actual expenditure."

"The actual figure for 2024-2025 is R621 million that is spent on water tankers. That amount includes the amount of R179 billion that is accrued from the 2020-2024 financial year."

Moya has attributed the costs to ageing infrastructure, ongoing maintenance, and several court-ordered water supply obligations.

She adds that extended outages, pipe bursts, and the aftermath of Cholera-related rulings have all forced the City to rely heavily on costly tanker deliveries to ensure residents receive drinking water.

Moya said the City has begun procuring its own water tankers to cut outsourcing costs, and is investing in long-overdue infrastructure upgrades, including reservoir refurbishments and pipe replacements.

She added that they're also investigating possible sabotage and vandalism contributing to the City’s persistent water crises.

"Earlier this year, we partnered with one of the state-owned agencies to investigate in relation to threats and vandalism to determine if we have a criminal element that is exacerbating this. So, it's not that we've been sitting on our hands; we've been addressing these issues up front, because we want to reduce that amount."

To listen to Dr Nasiphi Moya in conversation with 702 and CapeTalk's Mandy Wiener, click the audio below: