Water and Sanitation Minister, Mr Senzo Mchunu says an agreement has been made with Zululand District Municipality as a Water Service Authority, and work has already started to determine an abstraction point from Jozini Dam into Mandlakazi Water Treatment Works as part of the Phase 5 of Mandlakazi Bulk Water Supply Scheme.
The Minister met with iNkosi Zulu of Mandlakazi, the Traditional Council, and the community members of Esiphambanweni in kwa-Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal to give feedback about the more than R200 billion Mandlakazi Regional Bulk Water Supply Scheme, that will resume in 2023.
“We have issued the municipality with a Water Use License to abstract an increased volume of water from Jozini Dam to Mandlakazi Water Treatment Works. This high volume of water will ensure that the treatment works upgrades from producing 30 million litres per day of drinkable water to 60 million litres per day. It is important to note that the phases of this project will not take place at the same time, but today we are promising that work will happen speedily in the beginning of 2023. This is not only a promise but an assurance that work will start to happen very fast”, said Minister Mchunu.
The water supply scheme will bring a relief of water supply challenges to the people of Mandlakazi, between Kwa-Nongoma and Mkhuze (Mkuze) towns in Zululand District Municipality (ZDM), as well as in Hlabisa under uMkhanyakude District Municipality.
The project is done in different phases and the Department of Water and Sanitation has appointed Zululand District Municipality to implement Phases 5 & 6, which will benefit 279 297 people.
Phase 5 includes the construction of the main pipeline that will abstract water from Jozini Dam to Mandlakazi Water Treatment Works, and several other pipeline projects within the entire Mandlakazi project footprint.
Phase 6 is about the construction of a network water reticulation pipelines to provide water to the households of the entire Esiphambanweni community.
Minister Mchunu spoke strongly against incidents of destruction of infrastructure, particularly during the community protests. He called on the community to own and protect the water infrastructure to ensure that the process of supplying water to Esiphambanweni and other surrounding areas takes place with no hindrance.
For more information:
Wisane Mavasa
Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation
Cell: 060 561 8935
Or
Kamogelo Mogotsi
Spokesperson of Ministry of Water and Sanitation
Cell: 076 523 0085.
