GROUNDUP: The N1 town’s decade of decay — Beaufort West

The Beaufort West Local Municipality in South Africa is grappling with a decade-long struggle of decay, marked by crumbling infrastructure and political instability. Elaine Wessels, a long-time resident of the Rustdene suburb, lives without streetlights and frequently experiences blocked toilets due to old pipes. Her electricity box has been non-functional for months, and she has not received help from the municipality in addressing her complaints.

Riaan Botes, who also lives nearby, is in dispute with the municipality over an R11,000 water bill, which he believes is not his responsibility. Despite living in the same area for 35 years, Wessels works as a cleaner in a community work programme due to her five unemployed adult children. Botes, similarly, is unemployed.

The Beaufort West Local Municipality, plagued by political turbulence, has failed to address its aging infrastructure, resulting in frequent electricity and water outages. The municipality has been under provincial administration since August 2021 following its inability to pay suppliers on time and owing more than 2% of its operating expenditure.

The Central Karoo District Municipality, which oversees disaster management and regional tourism, has also suffered from instability, with four different party-led governments in three years. GroundUp highlights the municipality's poor track record in managing grants, with R39.9-million withheld in July for noncompliance. The municipality has spent R62-million on unauthorized and irregular expenditures, and collects only 82% of its revenue, below the National Treasury norm of 95%.

The shortage of funds has hindered the refurbishment of water and sewer networks, leading to frequent outages and poor wastewater treatment. Beaufort West's recreational facilities, including the newly built Rugby Stadium, remain unused due to lack of maintenance.