Deputy Minister Pamela Tshwete: Paarl Bulk Sewer Line handover

Remarks by the Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation Hon. Pamela Tshwete on the occasion of the Paarl Bulk Sewer Line handover, Paarl East Thusong Centre

Programme Director
Councillors
Department Officials
Members of the Media
Community of Paarl East
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good morning

I would like to welcome you all today and thank you for coming here as we acknowledge the completion, and to officially transfer the Paarl Bulk Sewer Line to the Drakenstein Municipality.

It is important to note that the Paarl Bulk Sewer Line is not the first project to be supported by the Department of Water and Sanitation. The department first supported the upgrade of the Paarl Waste Water Treatment Works, this was completed in the 2014/2015 financial year.

Following the upgrade of the Waste Water Treatment Works the Bulk Sewer Line had to be upgraded in order to cope with peak flows. It was also contributing to the pollution of the Berg River, therefore affecting the downstream water users such as farms.

Drakenstein Municipality applied for the co-funding to upgrade the Paarl Bulk Sewer and the project was then approved by the year 2013. The Sewer Line was completed in December 2017 and is currently under defect liability period.

A total of 478 jobs opportunities were created during the construction phase of the project. The Municipality was in a position to rollout new low cost houses upon completion of the phases of Paarl Bulk Sewer line and the Municipality is receiving proposals for new developments. The Municipality attested to the following benefits:

· The is no more pipe burst and pollution to the Berg River, the new bulk sewer is coping, even during rain with high intensity.

· Since the project has been completed, 450 houses were constructed and 536 low cost units are planned east of Boland Cricket Stadium.

· The projects has positive spinoff to economic development by creating and enabling environment for the creations jobs as the infrastructure accommodates the further developments including the industry.

South Africa has 850 municipal water treatment plants that treat 7.6 billion litres of waste, industrial and sewage, per day. That amounts to more than 150 litres per person daily, almost all of it wasted. This country cannot afford to allow this water to be wasted, instead it should be viewed not as waste but as a resource.

We are faced with a problem of aging water and sanitation infrastructure, which is also not coping with our growing population as the apartheid government built it to benefit only a few people.

I also urge this community to look after the infrastructure that we have and to dispose of solid waste properly and not into the pipelines, drain systems, and in canals.

It is also important for all of us to remember that vandalism of infrastructure is undesirable. It is therefore mandatory upon all of us to ensure the continued protection of all water and sanitation infrastructure.

I want to appeal to the Drakenstein Municipality to ensure proper operation and maintenance of the Bulk Sewer Line and Waste Water Treatment Works. Let us preserve this infrastructure as a legacy for generations to come.

Please educate the community of the dangers of vandalising infrastructure through intense and informative campaigns. Prevention is better than cure, let us educate the people that it is more cost effective to safeguard our infrastructure than to continuously build new one.

To quote an African proverb - when elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers – unquote. When municipalities start to politicise water and sanitation progress just to spite the national government, then it is the community that suffers.

Let us work together to ensure that we deliver clean water and decent sanitation for all, leaving no one behind.

On the 8th May 2019, you have a democratic opportunity to vote for the people that have shown that they can listen to your problems and make immediate interventions.
Vote for a government that support all municipalities and communities regardless of their political affiliations.

Lastly, ladies and gentlemen very soon we will be closing the curtain of the 5th Parliament preparing for the 6th Parliament. Once again, I wish to thank you for all your support.
 

Special thanks to the residents, public representatives, government officials in particular the Department of Water and Sanitation in Bellville. Thank you for all the support and good work done.

Let us work together to build a better country and better South Africa.

Thumb Mina
Baie dankie
Enkosi
I thank you

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