Serious water challenges experienced by Madibeng Local Municipality in the North West Province have created immense backlog on the part of the municipality to deliver waterborne sanitation, the Human Settlements Ministerial task team (MSTT) concluded during its visit to the municipality on Wednesday.
The task team mandated to establish the scale of the sanitation problem, its nature, irregularities and malpractices across the country has recommended that, the Madibeng local municipality should strengthen its working relations with government departments and other key relevant stakeholders, to overcome its current sanitation backlog.
The water challenge was brought to the task team by the municipality during its overview presentation on sanitation to the MSTT in a consultative meeting held in Brits.
According to the Madibeng Executive Mayor, Cllr Poppy Magongwa, sanitation backlog eradication had become a secondary priority due to an urgent need to address serious water challenges in the area.
Responding to the Executive Mayor’s presentation, MSTT provincial chairperson, Advocate Nomazontsho Memani said there is a need for the municipality to seriously engage government departments and stakeholders during its Integrated Development Planning (IDP) sessions to address challenges facing the municipality.
“Water and sanitation are both pivotal in every habitable environment and will lead to less health hazardous atmosphere within communities,”emphasised Adv Memani.
The task team was shocked by the unhealthy conditions under which the local residents of Popo Molefe informal settlement live. The informal settlement that overlooks part of the most affluent suburb in the Hartbeespoort, about 20km outside Brits has over 350 cramped shacks, with more than 1000 people living in the area.
The community only has six movable chemical toilets, provided by the local municipality, as its way of trying to bring sanitation relief to the residents.
According to the local leader Julia Mogowe, the situation in the area was eased by the working relationship between the community and the municipality.
Mogowe said they have been living in worse health hazardous conditions for the past years since 1996 when the settlement was established.
However, she appreciated the generous gesture by the municipality and further said the situation will improve as they will be relocated to the now under construction low cost houses in the nearby land provided municipality.
The MSTT is expected to visit the Kgetleng Rivier and Moses Kotane Municipalities respectively in Bojanala Platinum District on Thursday to complete its fact finding mission in the province.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Tel: 018 391 0140
Cell: 083 629 1987
Fax: 018 381 0328
E-mail: LKgwele@nwpg.gov.za
Madibeng water crisis serious challenge for eradication of sanitation backlog observes Ministerial Sanitation Task Team
Province
