Beitbridge Municipality To Sell Water To South Africa
South African border officials have requested emergency water supplies from the Beitbridge Municipality after their water pumps were washed away by the swollen Limpopo River on three separate occasions.
During a water crisis meeting held last Thursday, Beitbridge Town Clerk Loud Ramakgapola told stakeholders that the council is exploring alternative revenue streams, as it is currently owed approximately US$80 million. Said Ramakgapola:
Two officials from the South African border were in my office this week [last week] requesting that we restart supplying them with water. There is an existing pipeline we can bring back to life to supply. We badly need the revenue.
He explained that, a few years ago, Beitbridge supplied water to the South African border post, a profitable arrangement that was discontinued once the border post became self-sufficient. Added Ramakgapola:
But they lost three pumps washed away by the Limpopo (river) and their situation is desperate and we can bail them out as well as make some revenue for us.
The meeting held by the Beitbridge Municipality last Thursday sought ways to convince residents to settle bills amounting to around 43% of the US$80 million owed.
Residents, who face erratic water supplies for at least three days each week, are reluctant to settle bills that constitute approximately 43% of the US$80 million owed to the local authority.
According to NewsDay, a 20-litre container of water is sold for R2, while R100 can buy a household 1,000 litres of what has become a precious commodity in Beitbridge.
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