R777m down the drain

WATER WOES: OPPOSITION PARTIES FUME OVER TSHWANE'S TANKER BILL >>→ Mayor Moya accused of enabling corruption, neglect.

- Marizka Coetzer

As the rains return to Tshwane so, too, do the questions about power outages, stalled service delivery and a water tanker bill that's ballooned to R777 million.

At the centre of the storm is mayor Nasiphi Moya, whose silence on the so-called "tanker mafia" has drawn fire from opposition parties and analysts alike.

Gauteng uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party spokesperson Abel Tau said they were infuriated by the discovery that the city has spent over R777 million by the end of the financial year on water tankers.

"This is a huge indictment of mayor Moya and her party, who have styled themselves as corruption busters," he said.

He said MK party can safely say that service delivery has come to an almost standstill in townships.

"Today, as it rains, most communities from Soshanguve block DD, Lotus Gardens in Atteridgeville, all the way to Nellmapius, are without electricity because necessary preventative maintenance is not prioritised," he said.