The Municipal Capability and Partnership Programme (MCPP) has transformed water service delivery in the municipalities where South African mining group Kumba Iron Ore operates.

The MCPP was launched five years ago by Kumba Iron Ore’s parent company, Anglo American, in partnership with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and implemented with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

Anglo American MCPP programme manager Musa Jack says the programme is delivering measurable improvements in water quality, infrastructure and climate resilience in Tsantsabane and Gamagara municipalities.

“These communities, located in South Africa’s driest province, the Northern Cape, have seen dramatic increases in Blue Drop scores, improved groundwater management and enhanced municipal capacity – all through collaborative planning and investment.”

In Tsantsabane municipality, water quality compliance has improved significantly, with Blue Drop scores increasing from 0% to 56% for the Postmasburg scheme and from 50% to 56% for the Postdene and Jenn-Haven schemes.

Similarly, Gamagara municipality saw its Blue Drop score rise from 11% for the Kathu Water Scheme and 0% for the Dibeng Water Sceheme in 2020 to 54.71% across both schemes by 2023.

The MCPP provides support in reducing high levels of water losses in both municipalities, having donated about R900 000 worth of materials and deployed an onsite resource to assist municipal plumbing teams in repairing water leaks.

Further, through the MCPP, groundwater management for the Tsantsabane and Gamagara local municipalities, which are heavily dependent on groundwater, has been revolutionised through locally owned solutions.

Both municipalities now have comprehensive groundwater management plans and follow standard operating procedures, enabling teams to maintain boreholes in-house rather than relying on external service providers.

This reduces operational costs while building internal technical capacity. Municipal officials are also being trained to proactively update the groundwater management plan themselves to ensure it is always up to date and relevant.

“The impact of the MCPP is making waves at district, provincial and national level. Impactful relationships have been formed through this programme, enabling information sharing and better understanding of municipal environment,” says Gamagara PMU manager Ditebogo Sebuasengwe, noting that the MCPP support made a significant difference in water balance reporting and, through the programme, accurate population data was collected and is being used for a Budget Facility for Infrastructure (BFI) application.

Both municipalities are in the process of submitting substantial BFI applications to the National Treasury, facilitated by Infrastructure South Africa. Tsantsabane is applying for R671.8-million and Gamagara for R1.31-billion to enable critical bulk infrastructure development.

These applications are critical to creating enabling environments for communities and business and lleveraging collaborative planning between municipalities, mines and government partners.

Water infrastructure mapping has also expanded dramatically, with both Tsantsabane and Gamagara increasing their mapped reticulation systems from 40% to 80%.

This enhanced data enables proactive maintenance and reduces service disruptions during extreme weather events.

Through the programme, Tsantsabane started completing its own water and sanitation infrastructure operations and maintenance and water safety plans.

“These are basic requirements for a water services authority, and we did not have them in the municipality. Through the MCPP and the CSIR’s implementation team, we were not only involved in compiling these instruments, but in using them and making them our own,” explains Tsantsabane water superintendent Cindi Mathebula.

“The MCPP demonstrates how strategic partnerships can build resilient communities capable of managing water resources beyond the life of mining operations,” Jack points out.

“The programme’s success in Gamagara and Tsantsabane municipalities validates the partnership approach, showing that collaboration in water service delivery can strengthen capabilities and place the municipalities in a position to improve service delivery, financial sustainability and climate resilience when underpinned by strong local partnerships and capacity building.”



“Access to clean and reliable water is fundamental to thriving communities. This initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to being a responsible partner in the communities where we operate,” says Kumba Iron Ore social performance principal Thando Njoko.