The North West Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs is to establish a technical service delivery implementation team with the sole purpose of unblocking service delivery challenges to deal with backlogs and ensure accelerated service delivery. This announcement was made by the MEC for Local Government and Traditional Affairs Manketse Tlhape, following the Basic Service Summit held in Rustenburg.
“Through the coordination of the team we expect integrated service delivery plans that will be driven by committed stakeholders who should hit the ground running in expediting service delivery by implementing resolutions taken during the summit, to provide much needed services to communities as per our mandate. Local government has a Constitutional mandate to ensure access to basic services such as water and sanitation to communities,” MEC Tlhape said.
Census report of 2011 has shown a general improvement in the number of households with access to piped water, electricity and sanitation. “The situation is improving but it’s not satisfactory. Through the Technical Service Delivery Implementation Team which will adopt a Rapid Response Model we will be able to bridge the gap of lack of water and water shortage in the province. Plans are underway to deal with water shortage in the province. In the current financial year, Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati has been allocated R111 098 million and has planned to implement infrastructure projects.
These projects include amongst others four water projects and seven sanitation projects across the district which aims to increase access to basic water and sanitation. The same goes to Ngaka Modiri Molema which has been allocated R203 144 million and has planned to implement infrastructure projects which include amongst others, eight water projects and seven sanitation projects.”
According to Census report of 2011, access to piped water above or at RDP level in the province had increased from 86,6% in 2001 to 91,6% in 2011. The proportion of households with access to electricity in all municipal areas show an increase over the years an overall 84,0% in 2011, from 71,8% in 2001. Access to flush toilets in all municipalities in the province is estimated at 45,5% an increase by 8,7% from 2001 when access was at 36,7%. At least 76,2% of people in the North West live in formal dwellings following an improvement with Dr Kenneth Kaunda and Bojanala District municipalities being the highest registering 88,6% and 84% in 2011 respectively.
