Blyvooruitzicht’s water to be restored

The Merafong municipality is to instruct Rand Water to reconnect the water supply to the embattled Blyvooruitzicht mine by no later than Monday, according to an interim settlement agreement that has been reached.

An application by Lawyers for Human Rights had sought to compel the municipality and Rand Water to reconnect the water supply to Blyvoor on the far West Rand. It was disconnected last month as the municipality was owed more than R182 million in arrears.

The plight of thousands of residents of Blyvoor’s two mining villages was covered by the Saturday Star last week.

Water is to be restored to the residents under the agreement reached between Lawyers for Human Rights, the mine’s liquidator and the MEC for Co-Operative Governance, Traditional Affairs and Human Settlements, Jacob Mamabolo.

“The mine’s liquidator undertook to commission a technical assessment to identify possible leakages in the water reticulation network and determine the actual monthly consumption of water at Blyvoor,” said Lawyers for Human Rights.

“The liquidator has agreed to pay R600 000 to the municipality towards water use for the period from reconnection of the piped water supply.”

The Blyvoor mine was placed under liquidation in 2013, leaving thousands of workers without jobs. The Human Rights Commission inspected conditions of the residents on Friday.

Lawyers for Human Rights said the commission and all other parties would reconvene by July 25 to “map out long-term solutions to the supply of water for the community and how the municipality will charge them”.