Minister of Water and Sanitation Senzo Mchunu says a number of interventions have been put in place to help resolve water supply challenges in the country.
Mchunu says the Department’s interventions include assisting struggling municipalities with financial challenges, skills as well as other necessary resources. He told the media in Pretoria that sufficient efforts have been made to avert the looming day zero in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape.
Mchunu’s media briefing below:
Mchunu says, “I must say that since we intervened in about April, there’s been progress in Nelson Mandela and the municipality has been improving in a number of areas. We’ve been able to avert day zero and been able to up our game including the Kuga Municipality and deal with our processes. So but we are happy we have progressed. But there are a number of interventions, medium and long term, that we need to aim at.”
Mchunu has cautioned residents of Gqeberha to respect the water restriction rules and use water sparingly to minimize the challenge.
“But then what happened there, people don’t feel the squeeze that there’s no water in Gqeberha. And so they go to showers. They shower like anybody else in the world. And like any other person here in the Republic. They turn around in the shower for as long as they can. If you drive in the streets of Gqeberha, all the cars are clean and shinning. And you ask yourself where do they get this water to do that. Well, I don’t take angry issue with that. But because of this seven year water drought we need to come to terms with the fact that there’s no water there.”
However, Mchunu says while efforts are being made to address water challenges across the country, some municipalities are hindering the progress. He says they’re not cooperating and also fail to play their role.
“Of course in Gauteng we still have the gripe with issues of Hammanskraal. The way City of Tshwane waters services authority are dealing with this matter. We are in the final stages of discussing this matter with Tshwane. They are dragging a little bit behind. We are getting them on so that we finalize our agreement with as the option that we opted for.”
The minister has confirmed that a bill aimed at assisting to deal with some of the water challenges has been presented to Parliament for consideration.
“We are happy we’ve presented the bill on the national water resource infrastructure agency which was decided long ago by Parliament and we presented to cabinet. It was approved. We are now at the consultation stage with the public on the agency to deliver the infrastructure in overall.”
The minister says some of the major projects in Limpopo will soon be completed to ensure the full supply of water in the Giyani and Mogalakwena municipalities among others
