Sedibeng Water Board disestablishment gains momentum 

The Department of Water and Sanitation Minister, Mr Senzo Mchunu has signed off on the gazette to transfer staff, assets and liabilities of the Free State based Sedibeng Water Board to Magalies and Bloem Water Boards.

This is in line with Minister Mchunu’s commitment to review water boards to enable them to perform optimally while enhancing the delivery of water to municipalities and ultimately to households. 

A decision to disestablish Sedibeng Water was initiated by Minister Mchunu following his working sessions with the Provincial Governments, various Water Services Authorities and Water Boards regarding issues of governance, financial viability as well as accountability, and broader service delivery issues after taking to office in August last year.

The review is based on considerations of financial sustainability, servicing areas that are not currently serviced and is also intended to address institutional confusion caused by having multiple water boards serving the same area. 

The disestablishment of Sedibeng Water is in accordance with section 28 of the Water Services Act of 1997 which affords Minister Mchunu the authority to disestablish a water board.

The gazette was published on Friday, 20 May 2022 and will remain open to the public for a period of 40 days. Members of the public and all interested parties are invited to make comments in writing on the disestablishment of the board.

The Department has reiterated its commitment to ensure that there is smooth transition of the disestablishment and that water service provision to communities is not affected.

Source: Government of South Africa