President Jacob Zuma has assured communities in the Moretele Local Municipality that their concerns about water shortage in their areas will be a thing of the past.
The President was responding to questions raised by community members during his Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) visit to Ngobi village near Hammanskraal on Saturday.
“Water is a basic need that must be provided to our people. Our government will do everything in its power to ensure that our people have access to clean water.
We have noted with great concern that water is a problem in this area and we have already started work in addressing water shortage in this community,” he said.
The President announced that ten boreholes have been contracted and eleven others properly serviced to provide clean water around the Moretele Local Municipality.
The construction of 2.5MI water reservoir has already started in the area as part of the Ngobi Water Project, which also involves the electrification of boreholes and construction of pump stations.
The President was accompanied by the North West Premier, Thandi Modise and her MEC’s, several Cabinet ministers including the Ministers of Energy Dipuo Peters; Social Development Bathabile Dlamini; Water and Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa; Economic Development Ebrahim Patel and Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Collins Chabane.
Other issues raised to the president by the community ranged from sanitation, electricity, land issues and roads.
The President’s visit came about as a result of Mmatsheko Pine's email about service delivery in her community particularly about water access.
In the e- mail to the President, Mmatsheko said: "There is an area called Ngobi near Hammanskraal, under Moretele local municipality. The people residing in the area are now old, aged and mostly sick. The area has been without water for the past two years. People rely on rain to harvest water. There are water pipes and machines installed but the problem is said to be pressure to pump water. Could your office kindly assist with the powers that be?"
President Zuma applauded Mmatsheko for writing an e-mail to him and also encourage residents to continue raising concerns about service delivery in their communities.
“I was deeply touched by the e-mail that was written to me by this brave young women about water shortage in this community.
I saw it as important to come here and assure you that this problem will be resolved immediately,” he said.
Mmatsheko who was given an opportunity by the President to speak at the community meeting, expressed her satisfaction.
“I am very excited that the president went all out to respond to my concern. I also feel honoured to have interacted with the president because not everyone in this country get the opportunity of this nature, “she said.
Adding to the President's comments, North West Premier, Thandi Modise also encourage community members to raise any issues relating to service delivery challenge to her office.
“This is the government that was elected democratically by the people, so you have the full right to raise your concerns.
I encourage anyone in this community not to be afraid to raise any concern, whether it’s about corruption or lack of service delivery...you can raise this to the president or even with my office should you not get help in your municipality,” she said.
Modise reiterated her commitment to clean-up corruption within the provincial administration and in municipalities and that she will not be intimidated to abandon investigations aimed at ridding the province of the scourge of corruption irrespective of who is involved.
On the same day, Zuma officially opened the South African Social Security Services Agency service point at the Cyferskuil Community hall.
He also visited Gaseitsiwe High School to hand over a mobile science laboratory donated by Kusile Laboratories and Technology.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele
Tel: 018 388 3705
Cell: 083 629 1987
Fax: 086 620 4802
E-mail: LKgwele@nwpg.gov.za
You will no longer have water problem - Zuma
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