Public resources for public sanitation: the cases of Merafong and JB Marks local municipalities

Abstract

South Africa, like many developing countries, faces a significant challenge in providing a sustainable water supply and sanitation service to its citizens as it has a vast water supply and sanitation infrastructure backlog. The Merafong and JB Marks local municipalities (LMs) are not immune to these challenges, as proven by the results of this study. Various aspects of access to sanitation services revealed a complex and challenging reality faced by the residents of the Merafong and JB Marks LMs. This study is a multiple case study investigation that wanted to determine shortcomings in the delivery of sanitation services in the Merafong and JB Marks LMs. Empirical findings were sought through the administration of questionnaires and by conducting interviews with municipal officials. Data collection instruments were selected in line with concurrent convergence mixed-method research, which dictates that qualitative and quantitative data should be collected at more or less the same time. The use of official documents, including Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) and municipal annual reports, proved to be invaluable sources of information for this study. These documents assisted the researcher in arriving at accurate conclusions since the responses provided by municipal officials could not be verified and appeared to be untrustworthy to the researcher. This research revealed that the sanitation infrastructure in both cases is in a state of disrepair due to neglect over several years. Poor maintenance has resulted in a water and sanitation backlog, which these municipalities are struggling to address. The challenges facing municipalities in both cases range from administrative incapacity, poor planning, poor financial management and lack of public participation in the affairs of the municipalities. Staff shortages, a lack of technical skills, staff turnover and the municipalities’ inability to initiate mentoring and staff retainment programmes pose a risk to the stability and functioning of these municipalities. Moreover, the municipalities’ inability to spend allocated funds to improve sanitation infrastructure is one of the impediments to their development. Vandalism and the theft of equipment, along with the formation of sinkholes, present unique challenges for the Merafong LM. The study has shown that a multi-pronged approach is required to address water and sanitation shortcomings in both cases.

Afrika Borwa, jwalo ka dinaha tse ngata tse ntseng di tswela pele, e tobane le phephetso e kgolo ya ho fana ka phepelo e tsitsitseng ya metsi le phano ya metsi a hlwekileng le tsamaiso ya dikgwerekgwere ho baahi ba yona kaha e na le tshalelomorao e kgolo ya meralo ya motheo ya phepelo ya metsi a hlekileng le tsamaiso ya dikgwerekgwere. Bomasepala ba selehae ba Merafong le JB Marks (LMs) le bona ba hlahelwa ke diphephetso tsena, jwalokaha ho pakilwe ke diphetho tsa thuto ena. Dikarolo tse fapaneng tsa phihlello ho phano ya metsi a hlwekileng le tsamaiso ya dikgwerekgwere di senotse nnete e thata le e phephetsang eo baahi ba Merafong le JB Marks LM ba tobaneng le yona. Thuto ena ke dipatlisiso tsa mehlala e mengata e neng e batla ho fumana dikgaello phanong ya metsi a hlwekileng le tsamaiso ya dikgwerekgwere Merafong le JB Marks LMs.

Diphuputso tse matla di ile tsa batlwa ka tsamaiso ya dipotso le ka ho etsa dipuisano le basebeletsi ba mmasepala. Disebediswa tsa pokello ya dintlha di kgethilwe ho latela dipatlisiso tsa mekgwa e tswakilweng ya ho ya kopanong ya ho tshwana, e bolelang hore dintlha tsa boleng le bongata di lokela ho bokellwa bonyane ka nako e le nngwe.Tshebediso ya ditokomane tsa semmuso, ho kenyeletswa Meralo e Kopanetsweng ya Ntshetsopele (IDPs) le ditlaleho tsa selemo tsa masepala, tse bonahetseng e le mehlodi ya bohlokwa ya tlhahisoleseding bakeng sa thuto ena. Ditokomane tsena di thusitse mofuputsi hore a fihlele diqeto tse nepahetseng kaha dikarabo tse fanweng ke diofisiri tsa masepala di ne di ke ke tsa netefatswa mme di bonahala di sa tshepahale ho mofuputsi.

Diphuphutso tsena di senotse hore meralo ya phano ya metsi a hlwekileng le tsamaiso ya dikgwerekgwere di maemong a mabe ka bobedi ka lebaka la bohlaswa ka dilemo tse mmalwa. Tlhokomelo e fokolang e bakile tshiyamorao ya phano ya metsi a hlwekieng le tsamaiso ya dikgwerekgwere, eo bomasepala bana ba sokolang ho e rarolla. Diphephetso tse tobaneng le bomasepala maemong ana ka bobedi di fapana ho tloha ho tlhokeho ya tsamaiso, moralo o mobe, taolo e mpe ya ditjhelete le kgaello ya seabo sa setjhaba ditabeng tsa bomasepala. Kgaello ya basebetsi, kgaello ya ditsebo tsa setegeniki, phallo ya basebetsi le ho se kgonehe ha bomasepala ho qala mananeo a tlhabollo mme le mananeo a ho boloka basebetsi a beha bomasepala ka mosing botsitsong le tshebetsong ya bo masepala bana. Ho feta moo, ho se kgone ho sebedisa tjhelete ya bomasepala ho ntlafatsa ditshebeletso tsa phano ya metsi a hlwekileng le tsamaiso ya dikgwerekgwere ke e nngwe ya ditshitiso ntlafatsong ya bona. Ho senngwa ha thepa le bosholu ba disebediswa, hammoho le ho thehwa ha dikoti, di hlahisa mathata a ikgethang bakeng sa LM ya Merafong. Thuto e bontshitse hore ho hlokahala mokgwa o nang le mekgwa e mengata ho rarolla mefokolo ya metsi le phano ya metsi a hlwekileng le tsamaiso ya dikgwerekgwere maemong ao ka bobedi.

INingizimu Afrika, njengamazwe amaningi asathuthuka, ibhekene nenselelo enkulu yokuhlinzeka ngamanzi nokuthuthwa kwendle esimeme ezakhamuzini zayo njengoba inokusilela emuva kwengqalasizinda yamanzi nokuthuthwa kwendle. Omasipala bendawo baseMerafong kanye ne-JB Marks (LMs) nabo baya bandakanyeka kulezi zinselele, njengoba kufakazelwa yimiphumela yalolu cwaningo. Izingxenye ezehlukene zokufinyelela ezinsizeni zokuthuthwa kwendle ziveze iqiniso elinzima neliyinselelo kubahlali baseMerafong kanye ne-JB Marks LMs. Lolu cwaningo luwucwaningo lwezimo eziningi olwalufuna ukunquma amaphutha ekulethweni kwezinsizakalo zokuthuthwa kwendle eMerafong kanye ne-JB Marks LMs.

Okutholwe okunobufakazi uuthi kwafunwa ngokuphathwa kwemibuzo nangokuxoxisana nezikhulu zikamasipala. Amathuluzi okuqoqwa kwedatha akhethwe ngokuhambisana nocwaningo lwendlela exubile yokuhlangana, olubeka ukuthi idatha yekhwalithi neyobuningi kufanele iqoqwe cishe noma ngaphansi ngesikhathi esifanayo. Ukusetshenziswa kwemibhalo esemthethweni, okuhlanganisa Izinhlelo Zokuthuthukisa Ezididiyelwe (IZE) kanye nemibiko yonyaka kamasipala, kubonakale kuyimithombo ebalulekile yolwazi yalolu cwaningo. Le mibhalo isize umcwaningi ukuthi afinyelele eziphethweni ezinembile njengoba izimpendulo ezinikezwe izikhulu zikamasipala zingakwazanga ukuqinisekiswa futhi zibonakala zingathembekile kumcwaningi.

Lolu cwaningo luveze ukuthi ingqalasizinda yezokuthuthwa kwendle kuzo zombili lezi zimo isesimweni esibi ngenxa yokunganakwa iminyaka eminingi. Ukungalungiswa kahle wayo kuholele ekutheni kube nokusilela emuva kwamanzi nokuthuthwa kwendle, labo masipala abakuthola kunzima ukukulungisa. Izinselelo ezibhekene nomasipala kuzo zombili lezi zimo zisukela ekungakwazini ukuphatha, ukuhlela kahle, ukuphathwa kabi kwezimali kanye nokuntuleka kokuhlanganyela komphakathi ezindabeni zomasipala. Ukushoda kwabasebenzi, ukuntuleka kwamakhono ezobuchwepheshe, ukushintshwa kwabasebenzi kanye nokungakwazi komasipala ukuqalisa izinhlelo zokuqeqesha kanye nokugcina abasebenzi kuyingozi ekuzinzeni nasekusebenzeni kwalabo masipala. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukungakwazi komasipala ukusebenzisa imali eyabelwe ukuthuthukisa ingqalasizinda yokuthuthwa kwendle kungenye yezithiyo ekuthuthukisweni kwabo. Ukucekelwa phansi kwempahla kanye nokwebiwa kwemishini, kanye nokwakhiwa kwezitamkoko , kuletha izinselele eziyingqayizivele ku-LM Merafong. Ucwaningo selukhombisile ukuthi kudingeka indlela ehlanganisa izinto eziningi ukuze kubhekwane nokusilela kwamanzi nokuthuthwa kwendle kuzo zombili lezi zimo.