Even though the City of Tshwane is celebrating the completion of phase one of the Magalies Klipdrift Water Treatment upgrade, the DA asserts that many residents of Hammanskraal are still experiencing a lack of running water.
The project aims to provide four wards in Hammanskraal with 12.5 megalitres of treated water per day.
“Magalies Water has done amazing work in building a modular treatment plant at Klipdrift that bypasses the polluted Apies River. This gives Tshwane time to upgrade the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Plant,” according to Cilliers Brink, the DA Tshwane caucus leader.
“But now, it seems that many households in the first phase have no water at all and are still dependent on water tankers.”
He emphasised that government officials cannot just make declarations and hope that the task will be finished on its own. Rather, they need to monitor and guarantee appropriate execution.
His remarks follow an oversight visit led by Tshwane DA’s spokesperson, Themba Fosi, who stated that the area has been without water for at least two weeks and is now reliant on water tankers.
According to Fosi, the party would write to the city manager and mayor to inform them of the water issues and arrange for their resolution.
Short-term emergency intervention
This comes after Nasiphi Moya, the mayor of the City of Tshwane, called the steps taken to address the water crisis in Hammanskraal a major success.
“In January 2025, phase one of the Magalies Klipdrift Water Treatment Plant upgrade was completed, which now delivers 12.5 megalitres of treated water per day to four wards in Hammanskraal,” said Moya.
“This represents a short-term emergency intervention to improve water quality and ensure immediate relief to affected communities.
“It is important to note that this project will be rolled out in four phases. The remaining phases are scheduled to be rolled out mid-year and will cater to the remaining residents who do not yet have potable water.”
According to Moya, the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment plant has been upgraded, speeding up efforts to find a long-term solution.
Phase 1A, which is being managed by the Development Bank of South Africa, was finished earlier than expected, she said.
According to Moya, this allows Phase 1B to begin five months ahead of schedule. According to her, the project should be finished by June 2026.
