The Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality in the North West has spent hundreds of millions of rands on projects, including water infrastructure like boreholes, but they remain incomplete.

A leaked municipal internal document has revealed that more than R200 million of the funds was used on irregular procurements.

It also shows that R1.1 billion was spent on projects between 2019 and 2024.

The Municipality’s Mayor Khumalo Molefe says they still need more than R190 million to complete the 17 boreholes.

“Unfortunately, because we are internally funding many of these 17 projects have not been completed. The funds were depleted on the way and therefore contractors could not be paid for over four months.”

“They left the site and abandoned the project hence the difficulty we are in, but as the mayor I then embarked on a process of reprioritization, where we had to look at other funds  where we scavenge some of the monies to fund these projects.”

Some of the residents say their living conditions have worsened due to the municipality’s failure to complete the projects.

One resident says, “We don’t have water. We are really struggling. Children go to school late and are sent back home because of water. We are tired.”

Another resident says, “We always don’t have water. We are really struggling, we can go for a whole month without water. I’m really struggling, look at my knees, they are very sore. I cannot push a wheelbarrow to fetch water. I’m a pensioner but I’m struggling.”

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