The Eastern Cape executive has secured R1.4-billion to revamp the province’s ailing water and sanitation infrastructure.
This was announced after the administration led by premier Phumulo Masualle met at a two-day lekgotla at Fish River Sun last Thursday and Friday.
The funds secured from the national Department of Water and Sanitation will also be used to build new dams in needy parts of the province.
Provincial government spokesman Sizwe Kupelo yesterday said the water crisis had forced the executive to instruct several municipalities to introduce water cuts with immediate effect.
Areas facing water restrictions include the King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality, Amathole District Municipality, Mnquma, Nyandeni and Mzimvubu municipalities.
“With regards to water and sanitation programmes, a decision was taken that the municipalities supplied by dams with very low levels, should start implementing restrictions,” Kupelo said.
“These dams include Xilinxa Dam in Mnquma, Corana Dam in Mthatha, Mhlanga Dam in Nyandeni and Ntenetyana Dam in KwaBhaca, formerly Mount Frere.”
Kupelo said the capacities of the dams currently stood at between 10% to 15%.
“If rainfall does not come soon, they will soon run dry.”
He said alternative sources such as the drilling of new boreholes and supplying water tanks to needy areas would also being looked into.
“As part of our drought intervention, 10 boreholes will be built in areas around the Alfred Nzo District and nine in the OR Tambo jurisdiction.”
The announcement of the R1.4-billion investment in dam infrastructure comes a year after Grahamstown-based Makana Municipality had to source emergency funding from the office of cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Fikile Xasa.
This was after chronic water outages hit the municipality owing to the ailing water infrastructure.
Buffalo City Metro also had severe water outages for days earlier this year after its main water purification works were damaged due to poor maintenance.
The province’s capital Bhisho has also been hit by constant outages. This, however, was due to vandalism at the dam supplying the area.
According to Kupelo, the province is planning to build a regional water supply scheme in Lusikisiki, including a dam that will be 44m high and which will see 900 direct jobs being created during construction.
He said R3-billion had previously been set aside for the construction of the Foxwood Dam in Raymond Mhlaba Municipality (the merged Nxuba and Nkonkobe municipalities), a project Kupelo said would see 958 direct jobs during construction and 1940 jobs when fully operational in 2018.
Kupelo said Ntabelanga Dam in Mhlontlo Municipality would see a mini hydro-electric plant being constructed, while Makana Municipality’s bulk bucket eradication project was ongoing.
He said portable reservoirs would be built in the KSD and Mzimvubu areas, while government would also buy a number of water tankers “as hiring them has proven to be expensive”.
“A provincial technical team will also be established to work with the department of water and sanitation to address challenges facing municipalities in respect of water services development plans and allocation of funds for bulk water infrastructure.
“The lekgotla also examined progress on Mzimvubu Dam development. The environmental authorisation was granted early this year and detailed designs for phase one are being finalised,” Kupelo said.
Meanwhile, in order to address the province’s economic outlook, the lekgotla, which was also attended by executive mayors of districts and metropolitan municipalities, also agreed on:
lThe expansion and commercialisation of agriculture, focusing on high-value commodities and smallholder farmers;
lUnleashing the potential of the oceans’ economy, focusing on boat building and ship repair, aquaculture, marine and coastal tourism, oil and gas and maritime skills;
lDevelopment of socio-economic infrastructure in rural areas to stimulate development; and to
lAssist communities to develop a culture of saving and investment on the billions paid to them through social grants.
“It was also agreed that attention be paid on SMME development through local procurement, business incubation and support to entrepreneurs.
“Revitalisation of township and rural economy will be pursued through attracting new businesses in townships, infrastructure development and interventions to reduce transport costs faced by township dwellers,” Kupelo said. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
R1.4bn water lifeline for EC
This was announced after the administration led by premier Phumulo Masualle met at a two-day lekgotla at Fish River Sun last Thursday and Friday.
The funds secured from the national Department of Water and Sanitation will also be used to build new dams in needy parts of the province.
Provincial government spokesman Sizwe Kupelo yesterday said the water crisis had forced the executive to instruct several municipalities to introduce water cuts with immediate effect.
Areas facing water restrictions include the King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality, Amathole District Municipality, Mnquma, Nyandeni and Mzimvubu municipalities.
“With regards to water and sanitation programmes, a decision was taken that the municipalities supplied by dams with very low levels, should start implementing restrictions,” Kupelo said.
“These dams include Xilinxa Dam in Mnquma, Corana Dam in Mthatha, Mhlanga Dam in Nyandeni and Ntenetyana Dam in KwaBhaca, formerly Mount Frere.”
Kupelo said the capacities of the dams currently stood at between 10% to 15%.
“If rainfall does not come soon, they will soon run dry.”
He said alternative sources such as the drilling of new boreholes and supplying water tanks to needy areas would also being looked into.
“As part of our drought intervention, 10 boreholes will be built in areas around the Alfred Nzo District and nine in the OR Tambo jurisdiction.”
The announcement of the R1.4-billion investment in dam infrastructure comes a year after Grahamstown-based Makana Municipality had to source emergency funding from the office of cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Fikile Xasa.
This was after chronic water outages hit the municipality owing to the ailing water infrastructure.
Buffalo City Metro also had severe water outages for days earlier this year after its main water purification works were damaged due to poor maintenance.
The province’s capital Bhisho has also been hit by constant outages. This, however, was due to vandalism at the dam supplying the area.
According to Kupelo, the province is planning to build a regional water supply scheme in Lusikisiki, including a dam that will be 44m high and which will see 900 direct jobs being created during construction.
He said R3-billion had previously been set aside for the construction of the Foxwood Dam in Raymond Mhlaba Municipality (the merged Nxuba and Nkonkobe municipalities), a project Kupelo said would see 958 direct jobs during construction and 1940 jobs when fully operational in 2018.
Kupelo said Ntabelanga Dam in Mhlontlo Municipality would see a mini hydro-electric plant being constructed, while Makana Municipality’s bulk bucket eradication project was ongoing.
He said portable reservoirs would be built in the KSD and Mzimvubu areas, while government would also buy a number of water tankers “as hiring them has proven to be expensive”.
“A provincial technical team will also be established to work with the department of water and sanitation to address challenges facing municipalities in respect of water services development plans and allocation of funds for bulk water infrastructure.
“The lekgotla also examined progress on Mzimvubu Dam development. The environmental authorisation was granted early this year and detailed designs for phase one are being finalised,” Kupelo said.
Meanwhile, in order to address the province’s economic outlook, the lekgotla, which was also attended by executive mayors of districts and metropolitan municipalities, also agreed on:
lThe expansion and commercialisation of agriculture, focusing on high-value commodities and smallholder farmers;
lUnleashing the potential of the oceans’ economy, focusing on boat building and ship repair, aquaculture, marine and coastal tourism, oil and gas and maritime skills;
lDevelopment of socio-economic infrastructure in rural areas to stimulate development; and to
lAssist communities to develop a culture of saving and investment on the billions paid to them through social grants.
“It was also agreed that attention be paid on SMME development through local procurement, business incubation and support to entrepreneurs.
“Revitalisation of township and rural economy will be pursued through attracting new businesses in townships, infrastructure development and interventions to reduce transport costs faced by township dwellers,” Kupelo said. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
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