Makhanda has again faced a prolonged water outage, infuriating residents who are questioning how the hapless Makana municipality will deal with an influx of visitors expected this week for a major school derby and the National Arts Festival later in June.
The “high-powered team of experts” promised by deputy co-operative governance minister Namane Masemola and Cogta MEC Zolile Williams, who visited the municipality in mid-May, either never materialised or is ineffective, the DA and Makana Citizens Front say.
At the time of the minister’s visit, they described Makana as being “in tatters, in shambles, in the red, not stable and in disarray”.
They promised a crack team would be deployed to address the rank inefficiency which had caused the decay.
On Monday, Cogta spokesperson Pheello Oliphant said Williams was concerned about the water situation in the city caused by ageing infrastructure and municipal incapacity.
But he said Masemola had deployed a team of engineers from the Municipal Infrastructure of SA (Misa) in the city to attend to a list of engineering problems.
“For the big upcoming events, the engineers from the water and sanitation department and Misa are on the ground to sort out the water crisis in Makhanda.”
On Monday, residents in high-lying suburbs battled to estimate how long they had been without water, but it seemed to be well more than two weeks.
Many other areas have had little or no water for nine to 11 days.
Affected areas include Rhodes University, the CBD, the industrial area, the army base, the prison, Settlers Hospital, Fort England Hospital and the state vet.
It is estimated about 8,000 visitors will descend on Makhanda in the coming week for the annual derby between Kingswood College, St Andrew’s College and Prep and the Diocesan School for Girls.
The derby, popularly known as K-Day, culminates in the rugby clash between the Kingswood and St Andrew’s rugby first teams, and the girls’ first-team netball match between Kingswood and DSG at the weekend.
While Williams gave assurance that the Misa and water and sanitation teams would ensure the events went well, on Monday both the DA and MCF said there seemed to be little planning or preparation for the continent’s biggest arts festival in 16 days, which draws about 100,000 artists and visitors and brings income to the small city.
Both DA councillor Cary Clark and MCF leader Lungile Mxube said they had communicated with Williams directly as well as with water and sanitation provincially and nationally, and even with the office of the premier, with no luck.
“I’ve appealed to everyone. Nothing happens,” a depressed Clark said.
She had heard not a word about the crack team.
Makana’s last great hope — engineer Reynhardt Brittnell, deployed to Makana in September as acting director of engineering and infrastructure services — fled the town after just two months after receiving death threats.
In a letter seen by the Dispatch, he appealed to Williams and acting Cogta head Vuyo Mlokothi for a threat assessment so he could be provided with protection, especially after the assassination of parks and recreation manager Jeff Budaza in 2022.
Instead, Mlokothi wrote back earlier in 2025, informing him he was considered to have absconded for no reason and his mandate was terminated.
In the letter to Mlokothi and Williams, Brittnell demanded the response be withdrawn or Cogta would face a lawsuit for damaging his reputation.
Oliphant said the MEC did not wish to comment on the Brittnell matter as it was now “under the court’s consideration”.
Oliphant assured Makana residents that the intervention from Pretoria would remain in Makhanda until the water crisis was resolved.
“The provincial treasury is [also] stationed in Makhanda to aid with financial engineering with Eastern Cape Cogta officials.
“They are supporting the municipality to get their books in good financial order.”
The municipality received its sixth consecutive audit disclaimer this year.
The Makana municipality has not explained why the outages continue.
At the end of May, it first reported an unplanned water supply interruption due to a leak from the Waainek main pipe. At the time, it predicted the water would be quickly restored.
On June 4, Makana promised pump water to residents by that evening.
No water was forthcoming.
Nothing has been communicated since June 6.
The municipality had not responded to questions by the time of publication.
Daily Dispatch
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