Vital South African town faces severe decline for all to see
Klerksdorp, a once-thriving mining and agricultural hub in the North West, is experiencing a severe decline in service delivery.
As a result, residents and businesses are becoming increasingly frustrated with what they describe as a decline in the quality of life and business operating environment.
Klerksdorp, including Stilfontein, Hartbeesfontein and Orkney, is located in the City of Matlosana Local Municipality in the North West, about 165 kilometres southeast of Mahikeng.
In 1837, twelve families settled on the banks of the Skoonspruit. They established Clercqsdorp, named after the first magistrate north of the Vaal River, Jacob De Clercq. The name later changed to Klerksdorp,
The discovery of gold in 1886 saw thousands of prospectors descending on the quiet rural town, significantly increasing its prominence.
Like numerous towns across the North West, Klerksdorp became an important player in the country’s agricultural value chain as a key producer of maize, sorghum, groundnuts, and sunflower.
Today, it is the centre of a large mining and agricultural economy and has the second-largest grain cooperative in the world. It is home to an estimated 230,000 residents.
Apart from agriculture and mining, it is also positioned as a notable medical, retail and educational centre for the province.
However, mounting issues relating to service delivery mean that the bright spark of the North West is starting to dim.
Klerksdorp is part of the Matlosana Local Municipality, which is currently under provincial administration for not fulfilling its obligations.
With numerous complaints received and several service delivery-related protests, BusinessTech took a trip to Klerksdorp to speak to residents and businesses first-hand about the challenges they face.
Long-time resident and chairperson of the Matlosana Business Chamber (MBC), Johan Oosthuizen, said the town is experiencing significant service delivery failures.
This is hampering residents and businesses. “A vicious cycle has risen as a result of poor or no maintenance of infrastructure and poor service delivery,” said Oosthuizen.
The MBC has repeatedly raised its concerns to the municipality, calling for infrastructure, accounting systems, budgets, and bylaws to be addressed. However, it has come to nothing.
The chamber also said countless attempts to organise meetings with local executives have been ignored.
Water leaks
Oosthuizen said that the town’s water supply system is a significant problem, plagued by a consistent loss of clean water due to broken pipes.
The municipality struggles to address numerous water leaks due to a lack of resources, as seen through various issues across the city.
The Department of Water and Sanitation’s (DWS’) 2023 No Drop Report, which assesses water demand management and water use efficiency, gave the City of Matlosana a score of 1%. Anything under 31% is deemed “critical.”
Issues are further threatened by potential supply reductions due to a staggering R2 billion debt owed by the bulk water supplier.
“We’ve agreed with Midvaal Water to develop plans that ensure access to clean water quickly,” North West Premier Lazarus Mokgosi recently stated.
Sewage spills
The sewage system is in a dire state, with raw sewage regularly flowing into residential areas and directly into water sources.
Repair efforts have been continuously hampered by theft and a lack of investment in maintenance and upgrades.
A resident of Jouberton, Anele Mazibuko, told BusinessTech that they have had to become accustomed to the smell of sewage, with excrement running down the streets becoming a common occurance.
The MBC said, “No one, not even a business, should be exposed to this type of substantial inconvenience with foul odours coming from the sewer system”.
“It not only affects the quality of life for the community but also poses a health hazard to customers and employees.”
“The Constitutional rights pertaining to basic sanitation services and a clean environment… are trampled on and violated by the mid-action or inaction and mismanagement by the City,” added the MBC.
“The toilets get flushed and everything but that also just goes into a river. It’s an ecological disaster,” said Oosthuizen.
Klerksdorp Wastewater Treatment Works problems
One of the main issues is seen at the Klerksdorp Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW), which was meant to be Matlosana’s main treatment plant but operates significantly below its intended capacity.
According to DWS’ 2023 Green Drop Report, the Klerksdorp WWTW is described as “at high risk.”
Residents and businesses have said that ongoing sewer spillages, particularly in Orkney, Khuma, and Jouberton, have been common.
DA municipal councillor Lerina Strydom said the situation at the WWTW “is nothing short of an environmental catastrophe.”
“Describing it as delipidated and non-functional is an understatement. It is vandalised and utterly broken down,” she added.
BusinessTech visited the WWTW to see some of these issues first-hand but was denied access at the gates.
Strydom then came to attempt to accompany us onto the site, but we were again denied access by numerous municipal officials, who said that the DA “was trying to score political points” with the media.
Tensions between the municipality and the DA are high in this regard after a recent oversight visit by herself and other councillors.
During this trip, a cow was found in one of the sewage tanks, and the footage went viral.
Pictures and footage from their oversight visit can be found below, but note that the footage in the video is disturbing.
Roads crumbling
Another issue is a dilapidated road network, which businesses and residents said has made operating in the town increasingly tricky.
“Our roads are so bad. No customers want to come to our premises, and our vehicles get damaged constantly,” said a long-time resident and business owner, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of intimidation.
Private businesses and residents can sometimes be seen patching up some potholes, but these most often prove temporary fixes.
Electricity and crime
The municipality has a history of not paying Eskom, with a debt of over R2.5 billion.
Although national government intervention has provided temporary relief, the underlying issues remain unresolved, leading to ongoing uncertainty.
Besides a low revenue collection rate, old and unmaintained infrastructure is a significant issue.
This situation is exacerbated by electrical infrastructure theft and vandalism, which further burdens an already strained system.
Many traffic and street lights, particularly across the CBD, are constantly out because of this. “This poses a huge safety risk to our tenants as soon as the lights go out,” said a landlord.
Residents across the board also said they have been concerned by the rise in crime, particularly in the CBD.
Strained finances
According to the Matlosana Municipality’s 2024/25 budget document, it concedes that it is facing significant challenges, with a decline in economic output over the past several years.
The municipality’s debtors have reached R10.6 billion, and it operates with an unfunded budget, struggling to collect payments from residents while incurring significant debt.
Its recent audit report that was qualified with findings flagged slow management responses, instability, and lack of competence among key officials.
Allegations of misused funds and neglect of infrastructure maintenance persist, with the former CFO arrested last year for alleged procurement irregularities.
High salary costs further strain finances, with the majority of the budget going towards paying employees. However, this is not always the case.
Tensions over finances escalated the day after BusinessTech left town, when municipal workers set fire to the building entrance over alleged unpaid overtime, forcing staff evacuation.
The municipality said it plans to prioritise replacing outdated equipment and implement cost-containment measures, including cutting wasteful spending and reducing consultancy, travel, and advertising costs.
The Matlosana Municipality was contacted for comment but did not respond by the time of publication. Comments will be added if received.
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