For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Halima Frost.

Making headlines: Govt unveils Mandela, Tambo statues; DA wants investigation into Tshwane’s water tankers, as it unveils new billboard; And, failing municipal infrastructure, not water scarcity, driving South Africa’s water crisis

Govt unveils Mandela, Tambo statues

President Cyril Ramaphosa said in erecting former President Nelson Mandela and former African National Congress President Oliver Reginald Tambo’s statues, government is affirming the importance of preserving the country’s heritage for the benefit of future generations.

Speaking during the unveiling of the statues in KwaZulu-Natal today, Ramaphosa announced that eThekwini will be the venue for the 46th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and government of the Southern African Development Community to be held in August.

He explained that having Mandela’s and Tambo’s statues in the same city honours their “distinct but interlocking contributions and roles in the liberation struggle”.

Ramaphosa said the statues are a “worthy recognition” of the progress made with all social partners in restoring confidence in Durban as a city, and encouragement to complete the work.

He explained that monuments of this nature are important for preserving history and heritage. Hey said they anchor the collective memory of a nation and are important as a public affirmation of the values which these leaders represented and the principles for which they fought.

DA wants investigation into Tshwane’s water tankers, as it unveils new billboard

The Democratic Alliance today urged the Special Investigating Unit and President Cyril Ramaphosa to extend the Rooivaal wastewater treatment plant investigation to include the payment of water tanker invoices in City of Tshwane.

The SIU is investigating allegations of corruption, maladministration and tender irregularities regarding a failed R295-million upgrade contract.

Speaking in Pretoria at the unveiling of a billboard, DA Tshwane mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink claimed invoices, essentially paid by taxpayers, did not correlate with the number of tankers on the streets.

He claimed that spending on water tankers to areas that should have water had increased from less than R2-million to more than a R1-billion.

Last year, the party launched an investigation into R777-million used for water tankers, saying water tanker operators seem to be the biggest beneficiaries of African National Congress coalition.

DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga said as water leaks, water tankers, and empty water towers dot municipalities across the province, it is “inexcusable” for Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi to make “flippant remarks” that are detached from the lived reality of the millions of residents.

Last month, Lesufi sparked public outrage after saying he often had to shower at a hotel because of water outages in the province.

Msimanga said the DA’s billboard is essential to tell Lesufi that it is unacceptable to show such contempt for the people of Gauteng.

And, failing municipal infrastructure, not water scarcity, driving South Africa’s water crisis

South Africa’s escalating water outages are being driven primarily by failing infrastructure rather than water scarcity, the country is facing a critical turning point requiring urgent engineering intervention to prevent further service delivery collapse.

Recent national assessments show that about 47% of treated water is lost before reaching consumers – significantly higher than the global average of about 30% – largely owing to leaks, ageing pipelines, illegal connections and inadequate maintenance, said South African engineering firm AvenirHoldings CEO Tshidi Mndzebele.

She said these shortages are not primarily caused by a lack of water.

South Africa treats substantial volumes of water successfully. The failure occurs within municipal distribution systems where infrastructure has exceeded its engineering lifespan, she added.

The financial impact is severe, with the Auditor-Generals findings indicating that municipalities lost R14.89-billion worth of water in one year, highlighting the economic cost of infrastructure deterioration.

Government estimates suggest more than R400-billion is required to rehabilitate municipal water and sanitation infrastructure nationwide, while many water projects face delays of several years owing to capacity and planning challenges.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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