Amathole District Municipality has received R30m from the national government to help with the persistent drought.
The ADM went cap in hand to the department of water and sanitation to ask if it could use its water service infrastructure grant for drought relief.
On Monday, water and sanitation deputy minister Pam Tshwete delivered 10 water trucks to the municipality in East London. She said the state spent R15m on the trucks, which will cart water to dry communities. Another R15m is set aside for boreholes.
This is a welcome development as the ADM has been gripped by drought for years, with livestock dying and residents sometimes going for days or even weeks without water.
“An urgent intervention was needed to speed up certain projects, which should ease water shortages and drought challenges in the district,” Tshwete said.
The carrying capacity of each truck was 12,000 litres. At 25 litres per person, one load will supply 480 people per day.
Four of the six local municipalities under ADM’s jurisdiction – Mbhashe, Mnquma, Ngqushwa and Raymond Mhlaba – will receive two trucks each, and Great Kei and Amahlathi one.
The number of trucks allocated per local municipality is determined by geographic and demographic size, as well as by demand for water carting.
Where necessary, the trucks will be moved around the district to serve the areas with the greatest need.
Authorities said they had already started drilling boreholes in Mnquma around the Teko Fihla and Teko Kona areas.
Three more boreholes have been drilled and equipped at the Butterworth Walter Sisulu University campus, while an existing borehole at Toleni was equipped as part of the drought intervention.
ADM mayor Winnie Nomfusi Nxawe said drought intervention was part of their mandated role in delivering services to residents.
“ADM requested special permission from the department of water and sanitation to make use of the water service infrastructure grant to procure the tankers for drought intervention. This is so we can play our mandated role in bringing basic services to ADM communities,” she said.
Provincial head of water and sanitation Portia Makhanya stressed the need for the municipalities to take care of the water trucks, so they could service their communities for years to come.
“I appeal to the beneficiaries of these precious trucks to prolong the lifespan of them through proper care and maintenance.
“We should all take responsibility and hold each other accountable for improper use of these vehicles,” she said...