Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Mrs Edna Molewa, undertook visits to the Mpumalanga province on Friday, 14 and Saturday, 15 June 2013.
The purpose for these visits was to hand over water delivery projects to the municipalities of Bushbuckridge and Gert Sibande. These visits were also to follow up on the visit in January of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP Taking Parliament to the People). The two regions have also over time experienced serious challenges of not only water delivery but also water quality.
In the meeting with the local and district councils in the two regions led by the Premier Mabuza on Friday and MEC Skhosana on Saturday, Mayors, Speakers, councillors, municipal managers and officials, a number of issues were raised on the matter of water availability as well as how these are being resolved impacting positively on the lives of the communities. The issues raised were diverse and included lack of infrastructure, personnel, funding, planning, as well as maintenance and operations. The discussions were informative end result-orientated, with emphasis on how better to raise the levels of delivery. What was also apparent was that a lot of work had already been undertaken and water had begun to flow.
In Bushbuckridge the work already underway and expected to be completed in July 2013, that of the upgrade of the Inyaka Water Treatment Works, from the treatment of 50 megalitres per day to 100 megalitres per day, will positively impact on the increase to the number of households accessing water. There is also an impact in terms of 515 jobs created (76 of these being women), and a further 285 persons undergoing training.
Expertise has also been brought in through the appointment of Rand Water to ensure shorter time lines without compromising service levels. This is in line with the fact that as more people get connected, those without access must see that actual work is underway to bring delivery closer to them too.
The Minister and Premier therefore impressed upon the service delivery agents that there needs to be a concerted effort to bring delivery to the people. Based on all this, there was agreement that connection and delivery to the outstanding households will be completed by the end of February 2014. This agreement must be seen in line with the ideals of Government to bring universal access to the people of South Africa by 2014.
A tour of the Inyaka Water treatment Works was then undertaken where there was a walk-through to show all the visitors including media what the water works entailed.
Thereafter, a public participation programme was undertaken where a number of Bushbuckridge residents expressed their happiness at the delivery at their doors. The residents showed that they really follow the issues of delivery very closely and that the issue of water is close to their hearts.
In response to the community’s concerns and utterances, Minister Molewa said: “Earlier today I visited the Inyaka Water Treatment Plant which is one source of clean water that is aimed at benefiting the people of Bushbuckridge. Water treated at this plant is distributed to various settlements within the municipality and help alleviate backlogs in many communities within the municipality.
“However, I must hasten to say that although the plant goes a long way to deliver water optimally, water demand here far exceeds the supply. This is exacerbated by the high level of vandalism, damage and theft of equipment that enables localised water supply from alternative sources in the system. All these are major causes of interrupted supply and high level for maintenance and repairs of equipment. To a large extent, these are also result in the implementation of water rationing measures in many of the villages around here.”
In Ermelo on Saturday 15th, there was a tour of both the Southern and Northern Water Treatment Works. Rand Water has been appointed as an implementing agent for the Ermelo Water Supply Emergency Project. The primary objective of the emergency-project is the installation of the Ø350mm bulk gravity feeder main is to provide raw water to the NWTW from SWTW in order to address the issue of the water shortage in the Ermelo area, Wesselton and Phumula Settlements.
Minister Molewa and MEC Skhosana turned on the pipe that made this possible on Saturday.
One positive is that short and medium term plans are now in place. What is clear is that continuous water supply to the communities within the Gert Sibande District Municipality has now been realised. It is also necessary to ensure that communication amongst stakeholders and within communities is enhanced, this in order that the communities are taken along as the project develops and moves towards finalisation of reticulation to the remaining households.
Minister Molewa, MEC Skhosana and their entourage also made stops in the area receiving supplies from the project to find out first hand whether this work of government had any impact on the community. This was found to be true and Minister Molewa continued to reassure the people that by the end of February all households must be receiving their due constitutional rights.
Minister Molewa, in her final words encouraged all to “protect the infrastructure that government is laying out for their benefit. It is important for the community to realise that if the infrastructure is vandalised, their water supply will be negatively affected. There is need for continuous co-operation.”
ENDS.
For more information call:
Mandla Mathebula: +27 83 282 8675; mathebulam4@dwa.gov.za
Sputnik Ratau: +27828742942; rataus@dwa.gov.za
