SANRAL brings R2.7 billion worth of projects to Winburg in the Free State Hugh Brooks, SANRAL’s Eastern Region Project Manager, presenting upcoming projects to the Winburg community in Masilonyana Local Municipality Free State, 20 August 2024 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) will bring projects worth R2.7 billion to Winburg in the Free State, officials from the national roads agency told stakeholders at a recent information sharing session in the town. This engagement, intended to strengthen relationships with local small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs), is in line with SANRAL’s transformation policy which is designed to maximise the participation of contractors, suppliers and professionals in all its commissioned projects. SANRAL will embark on various improvement projects in Lejweleputswa District Municipality. “Our purpose today is to afford local communities the opportunity to understand SANRAL’s activities in the area and communicate SANRAL’s contracting and subcontracting process. As SANRAL, we want to share employment opportunities with the communities in the Masilonyana Local Municipality through these projects,” said Hugh Brooks, SANRAL’s Eastern Region Project Manager. The improvements of the N1 from Scottland to Winburg South and from Zandkraal to Scottland will be done at a cost of approximately R2.7billion, with 30% reserved for subcontracting opportunities. Routine road maintenance will be carried out on the R730 and R34 between Winburg Station and Ventersburg. “On Scottland to Winburg South improvements, the existing road will be upgraded and rehabilitated to form the new southbound carriageway of the new dual carriageway freeway. A completely new northbound carriageway will be constructed on the west side of the existing road,” said Brooks. SANRAL will continue to drive its transformation agenda for local SMMEs and community members that live alongside its national roads to ensure that all key and affected stakeholders benefit from its projects. At least 30% of the contract value is earmarked for subcontracting to SMMEs, through open tenders. “SANRAL provided this opportunity for local communities to participate in contracting and subcontracting opportunities on the projects. The communities are therefore presented with opportunities for local SMMEs to obtain training and in turn create employment through these projects,” said Brooks. SANRAL will continuously liaise with the appointed Project Liaison Committee (PLC) to follow the process in the hiring of local labourers for the duration of the projects. Regular project information sessions and engagements with stakeholders and affected municipalities are crucial throughout the project life cycle to foster healthy relations with targeted stakeholders. Free State municipalities are riddled with acting cadre deployed senior officials the officials in these positions veered away from accountability and decisive action in fear of not being permanently appointed Winburg is a prime example of cadre deployment at work The current Director of Infrastructure has been suspended with pay for the last 25 months while her position has been filled temporarily by several Acting Directors This indicates that the municipality is protecting officials which causes double pay to the municipality’s payroll This lack of consistency and accountability has resulted in the town of Winburg being severely impacted by several basic service infrastructure maintenance issues which in itself has created a cascade of issues for both residents and businesses The situation has left the PAO workshop and office at a standstill for nearly four months Some of the key issues and impacts created by the lack of continuous and reliable electricity include:       Administrative and Operational Challenges:      Impact on Local Businesses and Agriculture: The accumulative effect of these ongoing electrical issues has not only disrupted daily life but has also added a substantial financial burden to the community has been exacerbated by the reliance on generators due to the loss of operational efficiency by the municipality sustainable reliable electricity is supplied as the DA acknowledges the necessity of electricity to uphold the economy and sustain basic services to towns and cities registered non profit organisation in South AfricaReg No: 011-895 NPO Home | South Africa Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina says the water challenges faced by several municipalities across the country are not an issue of water supply but a result of infrastructure damages Majodina was speaking ahead of the two-day National Water and Sanitation Indaba at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Gauteng. The Indaba seeks to address the provision of water and water security in the country. The gathering which will be attended by various stakeholders comes at a time when South Africa is battling a water crisis as result of ageing infrastructure, vandalism and corruption. Majodina says her department plans to clamp down on water tankering and extortion mafias, as well as corrupt officials. Majodina says municipalities across South Africa owe the country’s water boards a combined R24 billion. She says failure by municipalities to pay the water boards will have a negative effect on South African communities. “And the danger is that those water boards will collapse. Can you imagine when water boards collapse it means no water is going to be purified and then we are putting the country at risk. What we have done already is to withhold the equitable grant or share for them so that we can pay these water boards. But that is not the ideal situation because if we withhold that, other services suffer.” Lack of access to water has been at the core of service delivery challenges facing many communities in the Free State. In Winburg, poor infrastructure is the core reason for residents being without water. SA Water Crisis | Winburg residents lack access to water:  The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) is probing a death in police custody This after a 43-year-old man shot and killed himself in a police charge office at Ventersburg police station on Monday The man was arrested at a tavern in Winburg over the weekend after his wife reported a case of kidnapping and rape against him the deceased forced her out of her house into a vehicle at gunpoint The deceased reportedly went back inside the house and returned to the car where he drove to an unknown location where she was raped The woman managed to escape to the Ventersburg police station She then requested police to be sent to her house to look for her daughter The little girl was found dead with multiple stab wounds who claim they have not had drinking water for at least eight days of lying about the water situation in the area residents are forced to fetch water from streams contaminated by sewage spillages Moshe says the municipality "lied" when it announced that water had been restored you can see that people are getting water from the small water pipe We tried to communicate with the office of the mayor "The only thing we saw was an update on Facebook saying water will be restored after two days as a water pump has been replaced which would then allow them to restore the water supply to residents "But now we have not had water even today (29/3) and we are still waiting here People are now fetching water from the streams where that water is contaminated by sewage spillages," says Moshe The municipality issued a statement on its Facebook page that states alternative means of water supply are continuously undertaken and that four water trucks delivered drinking water to various parts of the communities of Winburg and Makeleketla on Tuesday (28/3) "The councillor of Ward 5 (ANC chief whip) Phuthi Tlahadi sacrificed his bakkie to deliver drinking water to various communities across all wards An update on the delivery and installation of the pump will be issued during the course of the day," states the municipality on Facebook.  OFM News recently reported how residents of Tumahole in the Ngwathe municipality based in Parys have been hit hard by the effects of water-shedding for at least two years residents say they are forced to go to extreme measures to access water Pictures doing the rounds on social media show senior citizens carrying buckets and fetching water from manholes around the area ALSO READ: Free State residents 'forced to fetch water from manholes' The Free State Premier Mxolisi Dukwana recently met some of the most troubled municipalities at the OR Tambo House in Bloemfontein over water issues ALSO READ: Free State premier meets with municipalities over water issues Dukwana vowed it wouldn’t be business as usual for underperforming municipalities across the province ALSO READ: ‘It won’t be business as usual’ – Free State premier Dukwana told officials there's a need to ensure that available water is jealously reserved for the people's benefit especially with water being a scarce resource "According to the Department of Water and Sanitation some of the major water challenges include leakages and old infrastructure that has not been serviced or maintained for a long time Crime has also been cited as one of the main reasons for the unavailability of water in many communities as rogue elements often steal infrastructure," he added He also cautioned that the reason for flare-ups after water shortages was a result of municipalities failing to communicate with residents He urged mayors to be bold and courageous in addressing challenges faced by communities OFM News North West scholar transport operators will finally receive payments Vrystaatse ouerpaar in hof ná kinders doodbrand Besoekers sprakeloos oor skouspelagtige Augrabies UV ontken aantygings oor buitelandse werknemers Ondersoek duur voort ná skietery op Lichtenburg Oekraïne vra Suid-Afrika om ontvoerde kinders te help terugbring Wyle pous Franciskus het begrafnisrituele vooraf vereenvoudig Mianmar-aardbewing: Hulp stroom in ná meer as 1 700 sterftes Suid-Afrikaners wen gesogte blommeskou-trofee in China The police in Winburg in the Free State have arrested a 21-year-old man for murder after he allegedly fatally stabbed his 42-year-old father in the chest at a local tavern “It is alleged on New Years Day around 11am the father and son were at a local tavern when an argument ensued between them leading to the alleged stabbing,” says Free State police spokesperson “The 42-year-old victim was taken to the local hospital with stab wound on the chest where he later succumbed to his injuries.,” Kareli adds Hospital personnel informed the police and a murder case docket was registered Kareli says preliminary investigations were conducted and the 21-year-old suspect was subsequently arrested for the murder He will appear in the Winburg Magistrate’s court soon #sapsFS A man (21) was arrested for murder after the alleged fatal stabbing of his father (42) at a local tavern in Winburg on Wednesday, 01/01. He will appear in the Winburg Magistrate’s Court soon. NPhttps://t.co/7X7rirwgbn pic.twitter.com/qDDiCioKuj — SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) January 2, 2025 Project runs smoothly and on schedule despite small challenges A 14-kilometre stretch of the N1 from Winburg South to Winburg Station in the Free State has been upgraded two-lane carriageway has been rehabilitated and a new north-bound said while the project was on schedule and had been relatively smooth there had been some challenges regarding acquisition of materials There were also labour issues around hiring from local communities “These issues were quickly overcome through the help of project liaison officers and a steering committee that was set up with SANRAL’s help,” he said said the expansion of the road was necessary because of high traffic volumes Tahleho Jackson Mphosi is a SMME subcontractor who worked on guardrails v-drains and vegetation control under the main contractor WBHO “Working on this project has changed my life My company now qualifies for CIDB grading 4 I bought two bakkies and I’m able to pay my employees decent salaries I learnt different things every day in road construction,” he said Calm has returned in Winburg, Free State, where residents have closed down shops owned by foreign nationals. Residents went on the rampage on Wednesday night after shop owners closed down shops to avoid being inspected. They insist that shops owned by foreign nationals, who locked their establishments during inspections by authorities, should remain closed. Government officials from various departments inspected shops suspected of selling expired goods. The officials confiscated expired and illicit goods. Residents say shop owners should first explain why they evaded the inspection. One resident says, “The meeting was held there at the community library. The police were there even the members of the community were there. By the time they took their stock from the shops, they were protected by the police. That’s why I say they left peacefully there was no violence at all so the community.” “We do not have a problem with the shop owners, but we have a problem with them closing down their shops to avoid inspection. We appreciate them because they do what we cannot do and they service us well,” another resident adds. Other residents say they have already started to feel the absence of the services of closed local shops.  “I think the officials confiscated more than they were supposed to. And now these people are gone and we do not have anywhere to shop here in the location. We now have to go to town to get what we need.” Another resident says he has warned a shop owner renting in his yard to stop selling expired goods. “I once bought a cake from the one selling from my yard and I found that it was expired and even had bread mold inside and I had to warn him to stop selling that because it was not good for anyone,” laments a resident Cheyeko Mafallisa. Shop owners declined to be interviewed. They have also moved their goods to a warehouse in town. Dumping families like refuse in open spaces by the ANC-run government is a serious human rights abuse People of Extension five Phomolong at Winburg were allocated unserviced sites prior to the 2021 Local Government Elections with empty political promises of houses and basic services are forced to relieve themselves in buckets and emptying them in fields where their children play They have no electricity and have to beg for water from other residents in Winburg who themselves receive sporadic supplies of water from the Masilonyana Municipality The human rights abuses of Phomolong residents are similar to many others across the Free State In reply to the question by the Democratic Alliance in the Free State Legislature indicated that a business plan has been approved with geotechnical assessments underway and a service provider appointed He indicated further that the Department of Minerals and Energy approved the electrification of 540 stands residents are stripped of their dignity and are living without basic services in what should be classified as a disaster area The ANC continues to put cheap pre-election promises above the dignity and human rights of the people of the Free State The conditions of the residents of Phomolong will be contained in a report being compiled for the South African Human Rights Commission among many other examples and impacts of environmental water and sewage related human rights abuses by the ANC-run government in the Free State Winburg – The residents of Makeleketla-Winburg continues to barricade the N1 and Makeleketla Road as a demonstration of their frustration over lack of service delivery and allegations of change of visit of the South African President to Winburg “They say they want to talk to the President about the challenges they face daily,” said anonymous The residents accuses the municipality of failing to supply consistent clean water Among other issues that were raised by the community members is that they are unhappy after it was reported that ‘the planned visit of the President to Makeleketla-Winburg is now being changed by the provincial government to Botshabelo.’ “They barricaded the N1 and Makeleketla Road with the burning tyres Their discontent comes after the decision taken by the provincial government that an upcoming visit of president Cyril Ramaphosa will no longer be in Winburg The statement has indicated that the new venue for the presidential visit will now be in Botshabelo no-one was injured as the passengers managed to escape Makeleketla-Winburg residents indicated that they won’t stop protesting until the change of venue is cancelled The Premier of Free State Sisi Ntombela has responded by indicating that the visit by the South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is primarily to commemorate Freedom Day and to officially launch the Charlotte Maxeke Rehabilitation Centre in Botshabelo And this is in line with ‘the strategic objectives set out by government during the year of Charlotte Maxeke.’ “The Premier notes the genuine concerns raised by the community of Winburg particularly as it pertains to consistent supply of clean running water which has been a concern for a number of municipalities in the province Premier Ntombela wishes to state categorically that she never redirected the President’s visit as reported by unverified sources,” said Premier Spokesperson Sello Pietersen that there is currently a R24 million water treatment plant project which is being implemented in Winburg since 2019 which will be concluded in July 2021.This project is aimed at addressing the important aspect of clean and reliable supply of water,” said Pietersen Free State Premier has promised to visit Masilonyana local municipality together with the executive council as part of her continuous service delivery roadshow and website in this browser for the next time I comment ───   KEKELETSO MOSEBETSI 08:32 Mon Messages of condolence continue to pour in after the deaths of the Free State MEC of Education lost their lives after the car they were travelling in collided with three cows on the N1 outside Winburg in the early hours of Sunday The MEC for Education in the Northern Cape said the untimely death of Makgoe is a massive loss to the education sector Monakali said that he will remember Makgoe for his bold initiatives he undertook to ensure that the Free State obtained the number one position for matric results in the country He further added that he met with Makgoe lately to discuss collaboration to improve their matric results.  "As the Northern Cape Department of Education we would like to convey our deepest condolences to the extended Makgoe family as well as the Free State Department of Education as that has rattled the inner soul of many lives he has touched May his beautiful soul rest in eternal peace," said Monakali the Acting National Commissioner of the South African Police Services paid tribute to the late Mdi for his services and also wished Nkopane a speedy recovery She described the death of Mdi as a great loss to law enforcement agencies.  ALSO READ: Makgoe protector lauded for his 'dedication, selfless service' "He has been described by his immediate commander as a quiet We are also wishing warrant officer Nkopane who is in a critical condition Our thoughts are also with his family," she concluded ALSO READ: Dukwana: Makgoe turned Free State into a winning province Premier Mxolisi Dukwana said Makgoe turned the Free State into a winning province when it comes to education Former Premier Sisi Ntombela expressed how she was shattered by the death of one of the province’s brightest stars "I am absolutely shattered by this terrible news of the passing of one of the province’s brightest stars Comrade Tate was an absolute joy to work with To have worked with him and witnessed his transformation from a young man as an MEC to a giant who revolutionised our education system is a memory I will always cherish His passing has dealt a devastating blow to the Free State province whose excellence in education is known across the country thanks to comrade Makgoe's hard work," she said ALSO READ: Ntombela shattered by MEC Makgoe’s death also joined the education community in mourning the death of Makgoe and sent her heartfelt condolences to his family.  One that’s closer to home where my colleague we’re reminded that life is too short and is to be lived thoroughly My brother lived his life and stamped it excellently where he outstandingly put the Free State on a pedestal for four consecutive years with matric results on behalf of the North West Department of Education I share gratitude to the Makgoe family for borrowing us this giant His name is now written in the stars because you selflessly gave him to us but we ask the Lord Almighty to be your guide and your comfort during this difficult time," stated Motsumi SANRAL has been involved in contributing to educational and social aspects of communities and encourages its contractors to do likewise Developing and uplifting communities is part of the SANRAL ethos The roads agency does not just develop physical infrastructure in the form of roads and bridges – it also ensures that the communities along the country’s roads develop socially and economically as well SANRAL has ensured that a significant portion of its work benefits the local labour force situated close to the national road network SANRAL has also been involved in contributing to educational and social aspects of communities and encourages its contractors to do likewise During upgrading of the N1 road between Winburg Interchange and Winburg Station in the Free State the contractor WBHO Roads & Earthworks (Pty) Ltd was involved in several community projects “A big lesson we learned on the project was that giving back to the community does not always have to be big things – even the small things can put a smile on faces,” said Sarel van der Walt of WBHO “We got to know ‘Sweet Revenge’ in Winburg which is the name of a netball team that did not have any netball gear and played with an old deflated ball “We sponsored a netball kit and a new ball Seeing how happy they were even with such a small act of kindness changed our day more than it changed theirs.”   Another community project that WBHO sponsored was a group of women calling themselves “Ke le mong” who trained women in sewing WBHO allowed the women to use their training venue for five months and donated two sewing machines to the group The women are now making uniforms for a school in Winburg When children in the area struggled to get to school during the rainy season as they had to cross an area that was prone to flooding WBHO built a walkway through the area with culverts Another WBHO project was a community water pipeline that pumped water from a borehole west of the N1 to the community on the eastern side “The aim of the pipeline was to avoid people crossing the N1 to get water and putting themselves at danger with the moving traffic “Strong winds damaged the windmill and we had to replace it we got the children of the community to make imprints of their hands on the windmill blades with paint We hope that it will remain there as a reminder of the unity we had on the project and what we can achieve when working together,” Van der Walt said The N1 between Verkeerdevlei and Winburg remains closed for traffic while a cleaning up operation is underway This after two trucks were involved in a head on collision around 5 o’clock on Sunday morning both the driver and his co-driver were killed Officials say the diesel spillage is taking longer to clean up Vehicles travelling on the N1 from Bloemfontein are being diverted to the Karee Dam offramp with traffic from Winburg being diverged to the Brandfort road Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Spokesperson Sipho Towa says the police are still investigating the cause of the accident Mangaung Fire Services says they are  cleaning the area “They are busy with clean up and after clean up they will also do spillage clean up What’s taking long is because of the diesel spillage at the scene So we urge road users to be patient and to follow the diversion rules as directed by the law enforcement agencies.” The N1 between Verkeerdevlei and Winburg in the Free State has finally been reopened after a crash involving two trucks that claimed the lives of three people Officials say the diesel spillage took longer than expected to clean up Vehicles travelling on the N1 from Bloemfontein were diverted to the Karee Dam offramp with traffic from Winburg being diverted to the Brandfort road Emergency Medical Services Spokesperson Sipho Towa said police are still investigating the cause of the accident Roads and Transport in the Free State has issued a statement informing residents and road users about the temporary closing of R708 road between Marquard and Winburg due to construction According to the department the road will be closed for almost 12 months from 20 January 2020 until 15 December 2020 Road users have been advised to use S1619 and S671 as alternative routes Road signs will be displayed and flagmen will be around to warn road users at the N5 Windburg and Marquard Intersection Bloemfontein Courant is owned by Mahareng Publishing a subsidiary of Caxton Community Papers and joint venture between Caxton CTP and Central Media Group © 2024 Bloemfontein Courant. Developed by Digital Platforms Home | Sci-tech The struggle with water shortages, access to clean water and poor infrastructure is spreading throughout the Free State While the Maluti-a-Phofung Municipality water crisis continues They say it has caused tummy aches and diarrhoea among locals Community members say access to clean water has been a problem for many years They allege that the Masilonyana Municipality is not doing enough to resolve the issue The Municipality claims it has provided the community with water tankers It has promised to increase water supply to the affected areas while looking for a way to resolve the problem disputed claims that the greenish colour in the water is caused by sewage He has attributed the problem to the dry dams “Now the unfortunate part is that when they are dry we find ourselves having to suck water from mainly sludge and you talk sludge you will obviously talk the of algae hence the water is greenish in colour The water can only be utilised for other household’s purposes We also will be relying on drought relief programmes for we have made a submission.” the Democratic Alliance in the province has laid criminal charges against the municipality over the polluted water A lion was spotted by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) nearby a correctional service between Winburg and Makelaketla towns in the Free State The lion was spotted this morning around 5h30 a.m It is reported that the lion disappeared  shortly after the EMS staff spotted it According to provincial Health spokesperson EMS are working closely with police services to locate the lion It is believed that the lion escaped from one of the lion farms around Winburg Mvambi urges all members of the community who have spotted the lion to come forward with the information the police have not yet updated him and he’s unsure of whether it has been found or not Malebo Khosana could not comment on the matter as no case has been opened within this regard NATIONAL NEWS - Retired coal mine worker Hendrik Tlaudi suffers from a “bad back” and has to take medication daily who lives in a state-subsidised house with his widowed sister in Winburg cannot simply pour a glass of water from the tap to help him swallow his pills he has to boil it first or risk illness because the municipal water supply is often contaminated with bacteria from human faeces But like most people living in the poorer section of the town and surviving on social grants Tlaudi does not always have enough money to buy the electricity needed to boil the water Sometimes his sister’s two teenage children have to go and forage for firewood Part of the reason Winburg’s water is contaminated is because the effluent released from the wastewater treatment works flows directly into the dam used for drinking water This would be acceptable if the sewage was properly treated and if the water purifying plant was functioning properly But the water purification plant appeared dilapidated and not functioning at all when GroundUp visited it in March but from the outside it was clear standard building maintenance had not taken place Shrubs and small trees could be seen growing from the gutters and from cracks in the walls a municipal worker showed us a critical pump that had not been working for three weeks for want of a fan belt The aerator pump also did not have a fan belt and the sludge remover did not have a hose “All I can do is add chlorine,” he said He said storm water from recent rains was flowing through the sewage ponds and spilling out to the dam from which drinking water was extracted Sewage wasn’t even getting to the wastewater treatment works instead it was flowing to the dam from a broken down pump station further up the line (The employee is not named as he was not authorised to speak to the media.) total faecal coliforms (bacteria present in human and animal waste of which there are many) can be a maximum of ten per 100ml and E.coli should be zero But data on the national Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) Integrated Regulatory Information System (IRIS) shows Winburg’s municipal water supply currently meets national microbiological quality guidelines only 56% of the time It complies with disinfectant standards just 11% of the time The minimum compliance levels are set out in the wastewater treatment works’ authorisation issued by the DWS This is indicates that the municipality has not achieved the basic requirement of providing regular test results to the regulator A contractor who spoke on condition of anonymity said he oversaw upgrades to the sewage pump stations and refurbishment of the wastewater treatment works in 2020 As part of the contract the company installed a generator to ensure the works continued to function during load shedding which included fixing the aerators essential to purifying the sewage “some genius” in the municipality decided to move the generator to another facility But the electrical lines ran through the generator so without it there was no power at all at the wastewater treatment works Rewiring it was a simple job for any qualified electrician He said the company also advised the municipality that it needed to replace the town’s sewerage pipes which were old asbestos pipes which were continually breaking “They were breaking in people’s yards,” he said All effluent from the wastewater treatment works as well as sewage from broken sewerage lines and pump stations flowed to the dam from which drinking water was drawn but even if the water purifying plant at the dam was working properly it wasn’t designed to clean water contaminated by sewage Read more on Caxton publication, The Citizen Having spent much of his adult life working in the coal mines in Welkom pensioner Hendrik Tlaudi says he now suffers from a bad back and must take medication on a daily basis who lives in a state-subsidized house with his widowed sister in Winburg cannot simply pour a glass of water from the tap to swallow his pills Like everyone else in this town in South Africa’s Free State Since the municipal water supply is often contaminated with bacteria from human faeces he risks getting diarrhoea and stomach cramps if he doesn’t do so And like most people living in the poorer section of the town who survive on meagre state pensions and grants Tlaudi’s household does not always have enough money to buy the electricity or paraffin needed to boil the water his sister’s two teenage children have to scrounge the surrounding countryside for firewood to burn Part of the reason Winburg’s water is contaminated is that the effluent released from the wastewater treatment works flows directly into the dam used for the town’s drinking water and if the water purifying plant at the dam was functioning properly when this reporter visited the wastewater treatment works in March and the water purifying plant was dilapidated it was clear that standard building maintenance had not taken place Shrubs and small trees could be seen growing from the gutters and cracks in the walls There are three quality indicators for the effluent released from the sewage works into the environment: microbiological compliance indicating the concentration of faecal bacteria; chemical compliance indicating the concentration of chemicals which negatively impact ecosystems; and physical compliance indicating electrical conductivity and oxygen demand scored 0% for all three indicators on the IRIS dashboard This is indicative of the municipality not achieving the basic requirement of providing regular test results to the regulator It did not fare much better on the drinking water front Data publicly available on the IRIS dashboard shows Winburg’s municipal water supply currently meets national microbiological quality guidelines just 55.6% of the time it complies with disinfectant standards just 11.1% of the time A municipal worker at the wastewater treatment works who could not be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media pointed out a critical pump in need of a fan belt saying the pump had not been working for three weeks “All I can do is add chlorine,” the worker said but he noted that what could be seen running through the plant came from the stormwater system filled by recent rains The filthy water was flowing through the sewage ponds stirring up the sludge and flowing out to the dam Some sewage wasn’t even getting to the wastewater treatment works It was flowing to the dam from a broken-down pump station further up the line said he oversaw upgrades to the sewage pump stations and refurbishment of the wastewater treatment works in 2020 the company installed a generator at the wastewater treatment works to ensure it continued to function during load shedding He said after the company completed the work “some genius” in the municipality decided to move the generator to another facility the electrical lines ran through the generator and the wastewater treatment works could not function Masilonyana municipality spokesperson Zongezile Ntjwabule said the generator was moved due to “an electrical crisis” that occurred in nearby Brandfort Rewiring it was a simple job of reconfiguring the incoming line Ntjwabule said the municipality is currently working to address the “faulty cables,” responsible for cutting off power supply to the Winburg wastewater treatment plant The contractor added that the company advised the municipality it needed to replace the town’s sewerage pipes which were old asbestos-laden pipes that were continually rupturing “They were breaking in people’s yards,” he said as well as sewage from broken sewerage lines and pump stations flowed to the dam where drinking water was drawn But even if the water purifying plant at the dam was working properly it wasn’t designed to clean water contaminated by sewage Documents circulated in the June municipal council meeting show a consultant a civil engineering firm and both an electrical and mechanical contractor were appointed to refurbish Winburg’s water purification plant in January 2019 both the Contractor and consultant were terminated (sic),” states the document Then a new consultant was appointed in August 2021 along with the same electrical and mechanical contractor with a R25.6 million ($1.5 million) refurbishment budget In addition to refurbishment of mechanical works roof works and brick works listed in the document it was clear no such exterior work had been done Winburg resident and municipal councillor Brunhilde Rossouw said the consultant and contractors arrived on site in August 2021 with no work having been done since October last year Ntjwabule said the contractors appointed in August had since been terminated due to irregularities in their supply chain management process Winburg – the site of a former Boer war concentration camp – falls within the Masilonyana local municipality While Winburg’s failure to provide clean drinking water is striking – in that the supply dam is polluted with untreated effluent from the wastewater treatment works – it is not unique Drinking water supply fails to meet minimum standards throughout the municipality Data on the IRIS dashboard for June shows the drinking water in all four towns is contaminated by faecal bacteria Verkeerdevlei scored 0% for microbiological compliance Winburg scored 55.6% and Brandfort scored 88.9% The minimum standard for compliance is 97% Similarly, the wastewater treatment works in all of these towns are failing. The data shows all four towns have failed to report effluent quality from their wastewater treatment works for over two years reflecting 0% compliance for all effluent quality standards performs best in terms of drinking water quality within the municipality Therefore Brandfort residents keep containers at hand and fill them up whenever there is water in the taps said there was no water in the taps on March 25 The last time there had been water was three days prior – on March 22 “We fill a drum when we have water,” said Motupi who is unemployed and lives in a backyard shack in Slovo Park with his partner and baby said on average water flows through the taps one day a week Kheswa said if they run out of the water saved in containers they approach people in town who have private boreholes for clean drinking water much of the town fetch clean drinking water from a local church borehole on Mondays Winburg resident Cornel Brown spoke while pushing five-litre containers of water from the church to her home in a pram Brown said she doesn’t even like to use the municipal water to wash I have to add bicarbonate of soda to the bath.” She said the municipal water has been undrinkable since she moved to Winburg six years ago But the Masilonyana municipality is just one of 19 municipalities in the Free State all of which are in similar states of disarray only three municipalities in the province had drinking water that met minimum microbiological compliance standards These were Tswelopele (comprised of Bultfontein and Hoopstad) Deneysville and Oranjeville) and Phumelela (comprised of Warden Only Tswelopele and Mestsimaholo met both microbiological and chemical compliance standards only the Mohokare municipality (comprised of Smithfield Rouxville and Zastron) met the minimum effluent standards set by the DWS published on April 1 and covering the period of July 2020 to June 2021 states that 64 of 96 sewage treatment works in the Free State are in a critical state Twenty-seven wastewater treatment works were “poor,” achieving a score of between 31% and 50% and five were “average,” achieving a score between 50% and 80% were placed under regulatory focus and given 60 days from the date of publication of the report to submit a detailed corrective action plan Asked whether any corrective action plan had been submitted Ntjwabule said Masilonyana had not met the May deadline the municipality was now working on launching a study into how best to upgrade its wastewater treatment plants DWS did not respond to requests regarding whether the remaining municipalities had met or missed the same deadline rivers and dams across the province are continuously polluted by sewage Brown and millions of other Free State residents have to boil their drinking water or fetch it from boreholes owned by individuals or institutions willing to share a potable supply This investigation was produced in collaboration with the Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism and OpenUp with the support of the Open Society Foundation A version of this article was first published by GroundUp Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Mathabo Leeto has warmly welcomed babies born in the Free State public health facilities So far and counting are 40 babies born with 20 Females and 20 Males The first recorded birth was a Female born at Winburg Hospital at 00:10 *Winburg Hospital 2 babies (Females born at 00:10 and 04:40) *Mafube Hospital in Frankfort Female baby born at 00:25 *Nketoana Hospital in Reitz has a male baby born at 00:34 *Bongani Regional Hospital in Welkom has 11 babies (01:51 *Katleho hospital in Virginia has a Male child born at 02:50) *Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital accounted for 2 births (01:15 Male and 04:04 Female) *Universitas Academic Hospital has 5 babies born with 2 sets of Twins (Female baby born at 00:39 another set of Twins born at 04:38 & 04:39 its a female and a male) *MUCPP in Bloemfontein has two Males born at 05h42 and 06h36 *Tokollo Hospital has 1 Male born at 05:10 *Fezi Ngubentombi Hospital has 2 babies (Male born at 02:30 and Female born at 02:40) *Itemoheng Hospital in Senekal got a male baby at 10:35 *Albert Nzula District Hospital has 1 Female baby born at 07h56 *National District Hospital has 3 babies (2 males born at 02:30 and 06:00) and (1 female born at 05:33) *Thusanong Hospital in Odendaalsrus has 1 male born at 08:25 *Nala District Hospital in Bothaville has 1 baby boy at 7:11 *Mohau District Hospital in Hoopstad has Male baby boy delivered at 11am *Elizabeth Ross Hospital in QwaQwa has 4 female babies born 04h35 DO YOU HAVE A NEWS STORY OR AN OPINION FOR CENTRAL NEWS: E-mail us : newsroom@centralnews.co.za or Whatsapp us on 0814955487 You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience and security Reaction Officers reported no injuries at the scene of a two (2) vehicle accident on the Inanda Road in Trenance Park - KZN this afternoon (Sunday) Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) received the call for assistance after a silver/grey Toyota Hilux bakkie rear-ended a black Haval H2 KwaZulu Private Ambulance Service responded to the scene and found an emotional and chaotic scene Assessing the scene paramedics found 4 occupants that had sustained fatal injuries Barbara Creecy and the Deputy Minister of Transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa express their condolences to the bereaved families who lost their loved ones in a fatal road crash on the R63 between Adelaide and Maqoma in the Eastern Cape on Saturday A total of 15 people have died and five others sustained injuries in a head-on collision involving a fully loaded minibus taxi and a bakkie The accident occurred on the R63 road between Adelaide and Maqoma (Fort Beaufort) at about midnight on Saturday *03 May 2025* It is alleged that a white Quantum KZN – KZNVIP Emergency Control Center responded to a distressing incident this morning involving a 62 year old woman who was mauled by a dog while walking home after attending church on Baileybridge in Phoenix Emergency medical teams arrived promptly on scene to find the elderly female A head-on collision occurred in Sunwhich Port in which several people have been injured Med~Evac together with other emergency services are currently on scene.