The board of the Water Utilities Corporation has confirmed the appointment of Leornard Nxumalo as the new substantive Chief Executive.
Nxumalo replaces Godfrey Mudanga who was fired by the Minister responsible for water, water supply Kitso Mokaila in May this year. Mudanga was shown the door together with three of his Directors who were believed to have fared badly in a performance appraisal conducted by the board. The decision to relieve Mudanga of his duties is said to have also been endorsed by Cabinet.
WUC Board chairman Matome Malema said Monday that Nxumalo contract started running from Monday and will go on for the next two years and four months. He joined WUC as a transformational advisor a month before Mudanga was shown the door after having previously worked for Swaziland Water Services Corporations as Strategic services director.
In a communique issued on Monday, the corporation says Nxumalo has in the past three years provided transformation services to countries such Nigeria, Zambia and Lesotho.
Nxumalo takes over at a time when the corporation is tottering on the brink of collapse and financial ruin as its coffers are said to be running dry while customers are refusing to pay millions of Pulas in outstanding water bills.
The Telegraph investigations have revealed that WUC is living on borrowed time, as its financial woes could render the corporation incapable of delivering on its key mandate of providing Batswana with clean, fresh water.
WUC Communications Manager Matida Mmipi recently confirmed to The Telegraph sister publication, Sunday Standard that the Corporation’s reserves have dried up over the past few years, as they had to finance the country’s Water Sector Reforms project. Apart from the high capital injection into the Water Sector Reforms, Mmipi said WUC’s financial woes were also worsened by some clients’ failure and refusal to pay their water bills. ??“The failure and apparent unwillingness by some customers to pay for their water consumption is also affecting the Corporation’s financial situation. The harmonisation and review of tariffs, together with intensified debt collection, which the Corporation is currently undertaking, are expected to address the problem,” she said.
