KZN Treasury intervention brings relief to thousands of school children facing drought crisis
With some parts of the province still languishing in drought, three schools with thousands of pupils in uMkhanyakude District Municipality have been given a huge boost with the provision of a water back up storage system and built infrastructure with a combined volume of 22 500 litres of water.
This is all thanks to KZN Treasury whose head of department Simiso Magagula decided to roll up his sleeves to ensure that the three schools are not plunged into a drought crisis, something that would also have led to their possible closure.
Magagula identified the three schools – Phungaza Secondary, Inkosi Moses Zikhali High and Hill 70 in Mtubatuba - when he was in uMkhanyakude for the government’s Operation Sukuma Sakhe programme last year. While infrastructure is not the competency of KZN Treasury and school infrastructure being the domain of the department of education, Magagula, nonetheless, decided to get involved after being made aware of the water challenges.
He then made a pledge to send in the department’s engineers from the Infrastructure Management and Economics Services to assess the gravity of the situation. What followed next would be something that would save thousands of school-going children and their future.
Magagula praised OSS which led to this intervention and pledged to also do the same to other schools, budget permitting.
“We are here to officially hand over the water infrastructure and support that the schools that require these. We hope this support will alleviate the water and sanitation in the school. We believe that the existence of basic infrastructure in the school affects the performance of the school,” said Magagula.
He also opined: “We trust that the school governing body will guard the water pump installed and jojo tanks to ensure continued support of water to the school,”.
Chief Director for Infrastructure at the KZN Department of Education, Miss Weziwe Hadebe and who accompanied Magagula to hand-over the infrastructure, was grateful for the intervention that KZN Treasury made.
“When there is no water, schooling gets interrupted. We get lots of financial support from Treasury to build and maintain our infrastructure in school. With the water problem existing in Mkhanyakude, this support will go a long way,” said Miss Hadebe. A beaming Phungaza Secondary School principal Mr Johannes Hadede and whose school boasts 571 enrolment thanked the HOD and Treasury and admitted that his school faced huge infrastructural challenges.
“We thank you for the water and sanitation support and we hope this support will go a long way to helping this school do better and emulate its pass rate going forward,” he said of the school that attained 69% last year and which is gearing up for 80% onwards this year.
Inkosi Moses Zikhali High School Principal Mr Bhekani Nzuza said prior to this intervention his school used to go for three weeks without water coming out of our boreholes.
“We want to appreciate the intervention by KZN Treasury and we now know we have water and the system that help us have interrupted water for the school,” said Nzuza.
Hill 70 Primary School principal Miss Gugu Mkhwanazi was equally elated saying they feel honoured by this intervention from KZN Treasury.
“We were very disadvantaged by the lack of water. We had no water for ablution facilities and nothing to drink. This intervention has brought a strong relief to the school,” said Mkhwanazi.
Magagula the nature of OSS for our government is such that it does not matter what department you are but when there are interventions to be made in schools, households and other places, “we make those interventions. It is part of service delivery by government.” Below are the interventions made to the schools:
Phungaza High School
- Provision of a water back up storage system with a volume of 7500 litres of water, installation of 3 x 2500 lt water tanks, reticulation to the SNP Kitchen, court yard and ablutions. The system also has one electrical pressure booster to assist in the distribution of water.
- Provision of 3 stand pipes / taps.
- Installation of 350m new rainwater gutters and down pipes.
- Resulting in 7500 litres of water stored on-site.
- R95,428.66 (All-inclusive order value)
Inkosi Moses Zikhali Secondary School
- Provision of a borehole water storage system with a volume of 7500 litres of water, installation of 3 x 2500 lt water tanks, reticulation to the SNP Kitchen, court yard and ablutions. Which is connected to an automated Borehole with pump and a electrical pressure booster.
- Provision of 5 stand pipes / taps.
- Provision of a municipality water storage system with a volume of 5000 litres of water, installation of 2 x 2500 lt water tanks with one stand pipe.
- Resulting in 15000 litres of water stored on-site.
- R52,000.00 (All-inclusive order value)
Hill 70 Primary School
- Provision of a water back up storage system with a volume of 7500 litres of water, installation of 3 x 2500 lt water tanks, reticulation to the SNP Kitchen, court yard and ablutions. The system also has one electrical pressure booster to assist in the distribution of water.
- Provision of 1 stand pipes / taps.
- Resulting in 7500 litres of water stored on-site.
- R69,856.00 (All-inclusive order value)
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