The construction of a Vodacom tower on top of the Randwater main line and a valve at Sediba Plaza is seriously compromising Madibeng Municipality’s attempts to address water problems in the area.

Water from the pipeline has been streaming from underneath the Vodacom base station and it is impossible for the municipality to address the problem. “The valve situated underneath the tower was used to close the water supply to certain areas during pipe bursts or other water problems. Currently, with no access to this valve, the main valve has to be closed, leaving a large area, including Xanadu, Rietfontein, Ifafi and parts of Melodie without water. Should the pipe underneath the tower burst, Hartbeespoort residents in these areas may be without water for weeks. The construction will have to be removed for technicians to access the pipe,” said Madibeng councillor Gullaume Clouston
The Madibeng Municipality said this week that the Vodacom tower was erected on private property without an application or building plan for the infrastructure submitted to the municipality. “We are investigating the matter,” said spokesperson Tumelo Tshabalala.
Chris Giannacopoulos, the owner of Sediba Plaza, refrained from commenting and said the municipality should take the matter up with Vodacom.
Vodacom spokesperson Bongo Futuse said the Vodacom base station in Sediba Plaza shopping centre was previouly located in a different location in the shopping centre. “Around May 2023, the landlord requested a site move as future construction of a new business premises required construction on the occupied area. In August 2023, we moved the site to the current location identified by the landowner.”
Futuse said the base station is currently a temporary site and no permanent construction was performed. “The site was merely placed on an existing flat surface without breaking ground and the base was filled with material gravel to stabilise the mast.”
According to Futuse, the area where the temporary structure is placed does not have water infrastructure.
“As this is a temporary site within the guidelines, no municipal building plans would be required over and above what was already submitted to the landlord. Therefore, any insinuation that our site was built on top of water infrastructure is not based in truth,” he said.