Umphathi Hlelo, Amakhosi, Ooceba, Iinkokheli zeNkonzo, Iinkokheli zokuHlala, ImiButho Yonke, Abantu Bonke Bendawo, AmaGosa kaRhulumente. Sanibonani Nonke.
Ninjani namhlanje? Siyaphila nathi singuRhulumente. Naniphilani apha kwaNongoma.
We are here today as part of the government mechanism to facilitate Public Participation. This Imbizo is yours. It is your platform to talk to your government.
As government we are also here to account on the work we are doing in this area of Nongoma. I know the Zulu District Municipality is made up of 5 local municipalities. These local municipalities include, Edumbe, Uphongolo, Abaqulusi, Nongoma and Ulundi.
The 5 local municipalities are in different levels of development in relation to the provision of services. Our vision as government is that we want to see communities with schools, clinics, roads, visible policing, welfare programmes for the aged and disabled, with potable water and adequate sanitation.
I am here today representing the Department of Water and Sanitation. As this Department we are mandated to ensure that there is enough water for all communities.
On the other hand the municipalities are entrusted to provide water to individual households. This is task is very difficult because there must be cooperation between many stakeholders before we can provide water.
For example the Department must work with the Water Board operating in this area. The Water Board must work with the Zululand District Municipality which is the Water Services Authority (WSA).
The Zululand Municipality must work with all the Local Municipalities which are Water Services Providers (WSP).
The Local Municipalities must provide water to individual Households and Industries who are the consumers of water. The water consumers must pay for the water they consume so that the Local Municipalities can provide better quality water to the consumers.
In all the 5 Local Municipalities a number of people remain without potable drinking water. Some remain without adequate sanitation. Those of us with water we must protect our water resource so that government can supply those without water.
Our provision of water is affected by many factors such as inadequate budgets, lack of technical skills, water pollution, draughts, water leaks and old water infrastructure.
We must work together to protect our water resource, and direct our children to take careers in water and sanitation relevant skills. We must set up water committees that will work with the municipalities to monitor and address water challenges.
The Traditional Leaders must work with women in the cleaning of rivers and educate communities on the need to keep our rivers clean and healthy.
Currently our main projects for water supply include Nongoma Water Supply, Usuthu Water Purification Works and Henenende Water Supply. All these when put together are aimed at supporting the existing water system to supply water beyond the current serviced areas.
As government we have noted the challenges but we also need to talk together and work out the best fit mechanisms for the provision of water in this District of Zululand.
With this Imbizo we seek to further involve and collaborate with yourselves in the provision water for the people of this area.
Your role is to ensure that we get value for money, you educate your children to be engineers and water and sanitation technicians, to protect the cables and pipes which make the water and sanitation infrastructure, to use water wisely and protect the water environment.
As we seek to provide water to the people we have learnt a lot from these experiences of water shortages. Individual households will be supported to harvest their own water through water tanks. The Department will ensure that we explore the possibility of also harvesting underground water through boreholes. The Department will also ensure that the existing water facilities such as water treatment plants and water reservoirs are expanded to cater for the new and growing communities and the industrial demands of today.
Programme Director, service delivery has so many challenges and risks that we come across in the process of implementation. These challenges must never cause us to destroy the infrastructure that we have and must never cause us to fight with each other.
As the communities we have a right to advise government on the level and type of service delivery we need. We have a right to complain to our leaders about the pace and speed of service delivery and other things we do not like in the delivery of services.
We have a responsibility to work with each other to protect and better our communities. Recently our country has witnessed anger by some members of our communities which turned into violence
against foreign nationals. The foreign national are not our leaders, they are our friends and there whatever affects us as people must be addressed with our people.
