Speech by the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Mrs Edna Molewa, on the occasion of the launch of the Ward 7 (Ga-Mopedi, Sedibeng and Ncweng Villages) water supply project, Ga-Segonyana Local Municipality, John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipal
Programme Director,
The Honourable Premier of the Northern Cape Ms Sylvia Lucas
The MEC’s and members of the Northern Cape Legislature here present Members of the Traditional Leadership
All leadership of the represented Local Government, District and Local Mayors as well as all Councillors
All government officials here present Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen.
It is apt that as the roll out of this twentieth year of our democracy, correctly appreciating how far we have come as a nation and as a people, we as government have to and must continue to deliver services to our people. We are here today with all the leadership of the province as led by the Premier to do just that.
We are gathered here in Ga-Mopedi, as we are truly warmly welcomed by the people of this Municipality, to say to the community of Ga-Segonyana: we are here to celebrate with you this further delivery of not just any service but this very vital commodity that is water. We are here because as a Department together with our most appreciated partners, especially the NC Province and affected Municipalities, we were able to do this work that we are today officially unveiling to this community.
We are mindful of the fact that this District is one of the districts in the country declared as one of South Africa’s rural development nodes. This is a result of the fact that parts of the district have severe service and infrastructure backlogs we as government are aware of this and that is why we regard this area as a critical one for attention.
In the same vein, we know that the region is one of the richest in terms of mineral deposits in the Northern Cape, which minerals comprise mainly manganese and iron ore. The Sishen iron-ore mine as we know is one of the biggest open-cast mines in the world. The mine is critical as it forms the backbone of supply for the irone ore railway transport line between Sishen and Saldanha.
In order to ensure that the necessary attention is given to the development of the area and corridor, and as part of the work of the Presidential Infrastructure Co-ordinating Commission, through the Strategic Infrastructure Project (SIP) 5, otherwise called SIP 5: Saldanha-Northern Cape Development Corridor, this integrated development will definitely positively impact of this area, with the development of mining production driving such development.
Even as this development comes into the area through the efforts of government, we have to encourage the municipalities here and the respective communities to really look at the critical issues of Water Conservation and Demand Management. We know very well that as a Province the Northern Cape is easily the driest of the country. With this in mind, we have to be concerned at the water losses within the reticulation system in the area which stand at 68%. This is indeed very high and needs all our attention.
As a department and water sector leader through our Constitutional mandate, I have to indicate our grave concern Premier and respective Mayors, of what we realise is a lack of monitoring and reporting of non-revenue water and resultant water losses. We have taken the necessary steps to highlight this matter as per our legal requirements to the Ga-Segonyana Local Municipality. we would like to encourage the Municipality to continue working with us to find the requisite resolution to this challenge. It is in our interest as a collective to ensure that all our Water services Authoriries comply with the legal requirements as set out thus ensuring that as we continue with new connections we are not hampered by the losses that we could stop timeously, thus ensuring more security of supply for our communities.
We are aware of the need urgent and critically vital refurbishment of the current and construction of new regional water supply infrastructure in this Gohn Taolo Gaetsewe District. This includes the fact that for us to do all this, considering the funding we now have and has been invested in this process, we still ahve a shortfall of an estimated three-hundred and twenty-two million, fifty-six thousand, four-hundred and five rand (R322 056 405 - 00).
The issue I have just indicated above is further aggravated by an ageing infrastructure as well as a lack of operation and maintenance. In order to deal with these challenges, we have looked at the necessary costs and realised that we have at the moment a shortfall of around one-hundred and forty-eight million five-hundred million rand (R148 500 000 - 00) for the District.
As in most other municipalities in the country, the challenges related to maintenance and operations are huge. The budget for these operations is also minimal and as I have been informed, is used primarily for the maintenance of vehicles and plants instead of infrastructure. We have thus requested Madibeng Water Board to come in and assist in the provision of water services broadly.
We have also as a department provided amounts of one-hundred and three million seventy-five thousand one-hundred and forty rand (R103 075 140) from April 2003 to March 2013 for Operations and Maintenance, as well as twenty-one million one hundred and sixty eight thousand rand (R21 168 000 - 00) as refurbishment Funding from April 2004 to March 2014 for use in this same District.
As I indicated earlier, through the concerted efforts of government a number of municipalities recognised as needed particular assistance and critical for attention were identified as Priority District municipalities. There are twenty-four country-wide and the one so identified in the Northern Cape is the John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality.
As a result of this process we now have an Interim Intermediate Water Services Strategy as well as action plans have been developed for this District. The action plans are designed such that they categorise the communities in terms of their water service needs and the resultant projects have been prioritised to address the particular needs. These project priorities have been used to inform the application to National Treasury for further funding. This request has resulted in what we now know as the new Municipal Water Infrastructure Grant (MWIG). This MWIG is designed and meant to ensure everyone has access to some water service by 2014. The combined funding to the NC Region is however still inadequate to address the backlogs in the province.
In Ga-Segonyana, where we are today, MWIG projects will be implemented in the following villages as identified: Thamoyanche, Seoding, Sevenmiles and Magojaneng. In Thamoyanche and Sevenmiles, the project will ensure the provision of bulk water supply to scattered households and will entail source development, bulk infrastructure extensions as well as storage and reticulation with stand pipes and taps. In Seoding and Magojaneng villages, the project will entail the extension of water supply to the newly developed residential areas.
Premier and honoured guests, the project in Ga-Ruele as it stands, is already under construction. It entails source verification of the existing boreholes, source development which will include siting, drilling and testing of additional boreholes, equipping of such boreholes, erection of a 100kl pressed steel pipeline, construction of 25 prepaid stand pipes and construction of 1.8km of internal reticulation. In Gasebolao we are pleased that the project is also under construction. This one entails source verification of the existing boreholes, equipping of the boreholes, erection of a 50kl pressed steel pipeline, construction of 12 prepaid stand pipes and construction of 2.2km of internal reticulation.
There is definitely work being done and our services continue to reach out to communities. We also know that this is not all. We are now engaged in further MWIG projects in Gamagara (Olifantshoek) and Joe Morolong municipalities. In Olifantshoek, the scope of work includes storage and reticulation with standpipes and the reticulation of 2.74 km.
We have not stopped there. In Joe Morolong we are implementing a project in Drieloop. The scope of work here also entails source verification on existing borehole, provisional siting, drilling and testing of additional two boreholes, as well as equipment and electrification of boreholes. There is construction of 2.0km of dedicated pump main, erection of 65kl pressed steel tank, construction of one cattle drinking trough as well as the construction of seven additional prepaid stand pipes. There is also included in this construction of 2.1km of internal reticulation.
We are further encouraged that the Vaal Gamagara (VGG) Bulk Water Supply Scheme project is currently on Implementation Ready Study (IRS) stage. There is major drilling and testing taking place to determine availability of additional borehole fields that would hopefully provide sufficient and sustainable water supplies.
Another important aspect that emerged during the feasibility study is that the infrastructure is nearing its useful life since the original scheme was constructed in 1968.
The project was therefore initiated to address the following primary objectives:
- To upgrade the current bulk water supply scheme to provide sustainable long term water for the area
- To develop additional groundwater sources along the scheme to augment the Vaal River water source and by doing so, reduce the capital and operational cost of the overall scheme
- To supply Botswana with potable water via the upgraded scheme as a cross border transfer water scheme
- To provide and distribute bulk water to the listed municipalities, Dikgatlong, Kgatelopele, Siyancuma, Tsantsabane, Gamagara, Ga-Segonyana and Joe Morolong Local Municipalities.
So far as the Kuruman Bulk Water Supply Scheme is concerned, the ideal is for this project to replace the existing bulk water supply within Ga-Segonyana and thereby provide safe water storage, supply infrastructure and to improve bulk water distribution. The purpose of the project is to ultimately supply 17Ml/d of potable water to a population of 45 000 people.
I am happy to report that the project is currently under construction and the activities that were undertaken include the following positive results:
- Excess material was stock piled and the compacted platform was tested for compaction.
- Excavations for the sub soil drains has started and reservoir A’s excavations are completed
- Α representative from Aspirata visited the site on 2 December 2013 and conducted a safety audit. The report was received and indicates that the contractor does comply with the required safety measures.
In view of blue drop and green drop scores obtained during the period 2010 to 2012, DWA Northern Cape Region has been providing support to the Ga-Segonyana Municipality in an effort to further improve both drinking and waste water quality. DWA support specialist conducted municipal and site visits on 12 and 13 September 2013 to treatment plants in the municipality.
Recommendations were made after the visits to the treatment works on recordkeeping, control measure for implementation and preparations for a technical site inspection.
DWA, together with SALGA, also conducted sessions with the municipality during the period spanning February 2012 to November 2013 where the actions from the improvement plan were verified and checked and measures to be implemented were agreed upon. We are glad that the municipality has already embarked on implementation of some of these actions including development of water safety plans, waste water risk abatement plans and development of a comprehensive water quality monitoring programme. We believe that these actions will in the ultimate assist the municipality to improve its results with regard to the Blue and Green Drop Certification processes.
We are glad to note the the Gamagara and Joe Morolong Municipalities are active in the DWA Rapid Response Unit’s activities within the province. This will ensure that we will be collectively and timeously informed of any new challenges as and when they emerge. This so that we can also as a collective ensure we always put our heads together in order to address these.
We are in the year where we celebrate not just twenty years of democracy but also twenty years of water delivery as a democratically governed country. We believe that within the water sector, despite the challenges that may still exist, we do “have a good story to tell” in terms of our service delivery mandate.
We are intent on ensuring that we will continue with these endeavours to ensure that the delivery of this mandate to the people of our country remains our one focal point and that we will remain committed thereto.
Indeed, water is a precious commodity. we encourage all of our people in this one way:
Water Is Life, Respect It, Conserve It, Enjoy It!
I thank you.
