Sisulu assures South Africans water will be provided during lockdown

Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu says her department is working with the private sector to provide communities with water during the national lockdown.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown starting from midnight on Thursday to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

Sisulu says 2000 communities have been identified for emergency supply of water, mostly rural areas and those recently hit by drought.

Speaking during the Social Cluster briefing in Pretoria on Tuesday, Sisulu says, “We have so far identified 2000 communities and additionally 2901 sites where we are going to be able to provide water facilities. We supply every community that needs water with the necessary tankers and we will have collection points for water so that we do not have overcrowding around these areas.

“In the rural areas, we will be providing especially the elderly with buckets together with the necessary sanitation which will be provided by the private sector to make sure that they are able to wash their hands on a regular basis,” the Minister adds.

In the video below, Minister Lindiwe Sisulu says government will be focusing on provision of water in informal settlements: 

Sisulu says handwashing facilities will be provided. “We will be in the towns providing handwashing facilities in public areas, concentrating in areas where we have a high density around taxi ranks, bus ranks, transport areas etc. Here we intend to ensure that we put a tank for every area and a washbasin so that everybody has access to this.”

Steps to reduce risk of coronavirus: