Buffalo City executive mayor, Zukiswa Ncitha, says load-shedding and vandalism is playing havoc with water supply to some areas of the Metro.
Addressing the media on Tuesday following a Council meeting, mayor Ncitha said the areas affected included parts of Mdantsane and Needs Camp.
The mayor also took aim at the media for describing the situation as a "crisis".
"This was referred as a crisis in the Media and we beg to differ with that assertion. The initial challenge was caused by a combination of factors which include load shedding and that is beyond our control, the second factor which is worrying is vandalism," she said.
"With the latter we would like the communities to assist us by reporting the perpetrators as this practice costs the Metro a great deal. We find ourselves fixing vandalized infrastructure instead of refurbishing the old."
Mayor Ncitha also said that the Buffalo City Municipality has, for this financial year ending in June, allocated R19,3 Million for Roads Maintenance. She said "to date the Council has spent R14,9 million of the budget. A pothole maintenance schedule is available for all affected wards in three regions (Coastal, Midlands and Inland)."
The Buffalo City mayor also revealed that almost R1m had been spent on a feasibility study for a bridge linking Potsdam and Needs Camp.
"This bridge will make it easy for them to access educational and employment opportunities available in the neighboring areas. So far the Metro has spent almost a million in the Feasibility Study which entails topographical survey, geotechnical investigations, environmental management services, occupational health and safety as well social facilitation."
