DWS is seriously looking into the needs of the people of Mashonamini village in Bushbuckridge
The people of Mashonamini Village in Bushbuckridge Local Municipality are not disregarded by government in their quest for access to safe water. The cries of the community reached the ears of the Minister of water and Sanitation Ms Nomvula Mokonyane who promptly directed that the requisite intervention be put into action.
Phase 1 of the work towards the realisation of delivery of water to the area has been completed. In order to speed up the process, rand water was appointed as the implementing agent. Working with the province and the municipality, a technical assessment of the needs of the area was initiated and a report has been completed. Out of the needs that were identified, a new scope of work for Rand water was agreed upon.
A total of R601million has been allocated for Phase II of the Bushbuckridge intervention with Rand Water as the Implementing Agent. A service provider/main contractor has been appointed on the projects by Rand Water is expected to be on site by Monday 26 January 2015. This work that will start on Monday 26 January 2015 is expected to reach completion in line with the commitment of the Minister and the Premier of Mpumalanga by December 2015.
Minister Mokonyane has also directed that the work must be done “block-by-block”, ensuring that where work has been done, no one is bypassed. The thinking around this process will be to reduce the chances of illegal connections by those that ordinarily could have been bypassed. Part of this process will include educating the community through Water Conservation and Water Demand Management efforts which will seek to support the municipality in addressing such illegal connections.
The seriousness with which the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is taking this matter can be seen by the fact that the Director-General of the department, Ms Margaret-Ann Diedricks is heading the task team set up to deliver on this intervention. The task team is made up of members from the DWS, the Province, the Bushbuckridge Local municipality and Rand Water. The task team will work closely with the relevant local councillor/s to ensure that the community is kept abreast of all the developments as they unfold. This will include timelines as well as the scheduling and placement of water tankers in the short-term.
Government, through the department of water and Sanitation together with the sector at large, will continue to keenly work towards universal access of safe water to all our communities. The community of Mashonamini Village is no different and will receive the requisite services as per the directive of Minister Mokonyane and Premier Mabuza.
For more information contact:
Sputnik Ratau
Cell: 0828742942
