On Saturday, 16 January 2016, the Free State government’s Executive Council (EXCO) decided to visit Qwaqwa in Thabo Mofutsanyane District of the Free State amid the serious water challenges in that area. We were joined by Mayors, Heads of Departments, and Municipal Managers and other senior managers in this important visit.
Our visit started when we joined the Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality in their Back-To-School Motivational Talk Show for learners at the Multi-Purpose Centre. Among the speakers at the Talk Show was Lefa Mphirime who has just completed his Bachelor of Sciences degree in Petroleum Chemistry from the American University of Nigeria. Mphirime, who also hails from Qwaqwa, is an ace student whose study in the Federal Republic of Nigeria was financed by a bursary he received from the Jacob Zuma Foundation.
Another speaker at the event was Dr. Motshabi Sibeko who has just completed her Doctorate in Chemistry at the University of the Free State. Motshabi told learners and attendees of the Talk Show never to give up. As a young girl growing up in Bolata Village in Qwaqwa, she had dreams of becoming a medical doctor to heal her ailing father.
“Toda I am a Doctor. I am not a medical doctor as I dreamed, but the title of doctor has always been my dream. I am thankful to the government for affording me an opportunity to realise my childhood dream’, Dr Sibeko said.
Our next stop was at different water delivery points in Qwaqwa where we assisted officials to dispatch water to members of the community. Due to the drought, the water situation in Qwaqwa has reached disturbing levels.
I am pleased that the Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality, together with government departments and other stakeholders have established a Joint Operations Committee (JOC), which consists of Department of Health, MAP Water and other stakeholders. The Committee sits twice a day to assess the crisis and develop interventions and has developed a Water Contingency Plan whose implementation is in full swing.
At Thabong Village where I was deployed to help distribute water, I saw a dire situation of water shortage. But I also saw dedication and effort from various government departments, local government officials, businesspeople, Non-Profit Organisations and ordinary members of the community as they joined hands to assist the community. This is the kind of society we need, where the problem of one member of the community, is a problem of the entire community.
We will continue to work with the municipality of Maluti-a-Phofung, and other municipalities affected by the drought, to ensure that our people are cushioned from the effects of this disaster. We urge people to continue to preserve water because every drop counts.
Enquiries:
Premier’s Spokesperson
Cell: 076 722 4813
For further enquiries please contact:
Pulane Tsupane
Media Liaison Officer
Cell: 071 302 2595
