KSD procurement stalls on waste management and swimming pool projects
By The Coastal Reporter
19 August 2026 · 1 min read
This article was created using or in collaboration with AI. It was then reviewed, fact-checked and edited by a real human. Lastly, it was approved and published by a senior editor.
The revamped Mthatha swimming pool, which was recently opened. Source: KSD Municipality.
King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality’s latest quarterly report shows 98 projects in its procurement plan, but four were put on hold, one was cancelled and three had to be re-advertised by the end of June.
King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality’s procurement pipeline slowed in the quarter to 30 June, with a waste management project and the rehabilitation of the Ngangelizwe swimming pool among four projects placed on hold.
The municipality’s fourth-quarter report shows its supply chain management plan covered 98 projects, but only 78 awards were made before the end of the period. Four projects were put on hold, one was cancelled and three had to be re-advertised.
The report does not explain why the affected bids stalled, but the delays mean some planned service upgrades may now slip into the next financial year.
The waste management project and the swimming pool rehabilitation are both listed under Community Services, making them the most visible of the stalled bids for residents in Mthatha and surrounding areas.
KSD is one of the Eastern Cape’s key rural municipalities, serving the towns of Mthatha and a wide surrounding area of villages and small settlements. Procurement backlogs in a council of this size can delay work on sanitation, recreation and other basic services that communities expect to see on the ground.
The report also points to wider financial strain. Electricity debt stands at R97m, with R22m older than 90 days, and officials say this is affecting the municipality’s ability to pay Eskom.
Property rates debt is listed at R485m, refuse debt at R336m and rental debt at R207m.
The municipality further reports shortfalls in property rates and electricity sales, and says it is preparing a letter of demand against a smart-meter service provider over outstanding information.
The quarterly report forms part of KSD’s routine performance and spending reporting. While most of the procurement plan progressed, the stalled projects show that some bids remained stuck in the system at the end of June.
The municipality did not respond by the time of publication.
