Minister Majodina launches the Unserved Communities Access Acceleration Programme through handover of four boreholes to Thembisile Hani Local Municipality communities in Mpumalanga
The Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, has launched Unserved Communities Access Acceleration Programme by handing over four boreholes, each with automated purification capacity (decentralised water purification plant) to previously unserved communities to ensure sustainable provision of quality drinking water, dignified sanitation, and proper hygiene.
The boreholes were constructed by the Rand Water Foundation, an entity of Rand Water at a tune of just over R2 million and donated to the Thembisile Hani Local Municipality in the Nkangala District in Mpumalanga, to serve Vezubuhle, Gemsbok, Rhenosterfontein Farms and Engwenyameni communities in Kwa-Mhlanga that previously had no reliable water supply.
Minister Majodina, accompanied by Deputy Minister David Mahlobo, Mpumalanga MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements, and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA), Speed Katishi Mashilo, Nkangala District Municipality Executive Mayor, Cllr Thomas Ngwenya, Rand Water Chairperson Ramateu Monyokolo, Group Chief Executive (GCE) Sipho Mosai, and Rand Water Foundation Chairperson Lusanda Netshitenzhe, on June 3, 2026, handed over the four underground water supply schemes to communities facing water supply issues.
The launch of the Unserved Communities Access Acceleration Programme, one of the most focused interventions, which coincided with the launch of Mandela Month observed in the month of July each year, is part of the Ministry of Water and Sanitation's ongoing efforts to reach communities that have historically remained without reliable access to water and to provide sustainable solutions and improve lives for communities to ensure access to quality drinking water and undignified sanitation.
The project entailed drilling of the 4 boreholes equipped with filtration /purification units, installation of ten (10) communal taps, installation of six (6) storage tanks with capacity of 10 000 litre each, installation of six 6 Steel tank stands as well as installation of a manhole.
The decentralised water supply facilities offer relief to areas affected by inconsistent water supply, rationing, and reliance on water tankers, especially in remote locations. GCE Mosai explained that the decentralised plants operate similarly to those plants in Zuikerbosch and Vereeniging, just on a smaller scale.
The plants were installed at Vezubuhle Community Hall in Vezubuhle, Bawokuhle Primary School in Gemsbok, and Rhenosterfontein Farms and Engwenyameni, providing sustainable, clean water access to over 1,600 beneficiaries, including learners, residents, and farmers. All interventions have undergone water quality testing and safety measures to ensure durability.
After the handover, Minister Majodina met with community members in Gemsbok and emphasised that this was not just an infrastructure unveiling but a step toward transforming lives. The Minister highlighted that honouring Nelson Mandela meant ensuring that mothers do not walk miles to fetch water, children spent more time in school than searching for water, and communities regained their dignity.
“There could be no better way of honouring Madiba than ensuring that children spend more time in classrooms than searching for water. There could be no greater expression of service than restoring dignity to communities that have waited patiently for this basic necessity of life. That is why today's occasion is significant. Today is not simply about boreholes.
Today is about hope. It is about dignity. It is about justice. It is about fulfilling a promise that the South African government made to the people,” Minister Majodina said.
The Minister stressed that the initiative was about hope, justice, and fulfilling the government's promise to the people. She reiterated that no community should rely permanently on unsafe water sources due to their location, and that this handover made access to safe water a reality nationwide.
Minister Majodina further elaborated that the department’s objective was clear: no South African community should continue relying indefinitely on unsafe rivers, streams, or distant water sources simply because of where they live. She said the handover demonstrated that the programme is no longer an idea, but a reality for communities across the country. The Minister affirmed the department’s commitment to work with municipalities to ensure that all unserved communities are identified for necessary interventions.
The Minister said the thinking behind this programme was straightforward, that while large regional water schemes remained essential, many rural communities cannot afford to wait years before receiving relief: “Where practical, we must implement faster, sustainable interventions that immediately improve people's lives. The programme therefore combines urgency with sustainability. It includes groundwater development through borehole drilling. It includes the protection of natural springs.
It includes rainwater harvesting systems. It includes the rehabilitation of existing but non-functional infrastructure. It includes targeted extensions of local reticulation systems. These are practical interventions designed to reach communities that have too often remained on the margins of development”.
She appealed to residents to guard these assets as if they were their own family, for their children and future generations.
“I am very much encouraged by Gogo Mahlangu who called on the community to protect the infrastructure against vandalism. Every damaged pipeline forces government to spend scarce resources on repairs instead of expanding services to new communities. Ultimately, those who suffer most are the poorest households. That is why I want to make a heartfelt appeal to every resident gathered here today. Protect this infrastructure as though it belongs to your own family. Because it does, protect it for your children. Protect it for future generations,” she pleaded.
Lastly, she expressed gratitude to the Rand Water Foundation, noting their contribution as beyond drilling the boreholes, but an investment in dignity, health, and a brighter future for children of these communities.
“I also wish to acknowledge the leadership of Rand Water, whose expertise and longstanding commitment to strengthening water security continue to benefit millions of South Africans. Your partnership with the government demonstrates that nation-building cannot be left to the government alone. The Constitution envisions a developmental state that works together with communities, civil society, state-owned entities, development partners and the private sector to improve people's lives. That is precisely what we are witnessing today,” Majodina concluded.
Enquiries
Wisane Mavasa, Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation on
Cell: 060 561 8935
Email: mavasaw@dws.gov.za or
Cornelius Monama on
Cell: 083 271 0808
Email: monamac@dws.gov.za
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