The Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, (DWS) David Mahlobo celebrated water week on Friday last week in Manamokgotheng, Moses Kotane Local Municipality, assessing the newly constructed reservoir that will provide sufficient water to 4000 households.
Under this year’s theme, Accelerating Change, the water week campaign emanate from the World Water Day which is observed annually on 22 March. The commemoration was attended by MEC of COGSTA, Nono Maloyi, MEC for Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism,Tsotso Tlhapi, Moses Kotane Local Municipality Mayor, Nkethu Nkotswe, Magalies Water CEO Sandile Mkhize, Coca-Cola Africa Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainable Director Babongile Mandela, Chairperson of South African Local Government Association and Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality Mayor, Molefe Khumalo.
During the commemoration, Deputy Minister Mahlobo said that despite people having access to water, there are still those without water and that more still need to be done to ensure everyone has access to water. “We must do more”, he said.
This was after assessing the newly constructed 2 megaliters reservoir in Manamakgotheng which will be completed by end of April, this year. “There is enough water sources in Vaalkop dam and in Molatedi dam. The only challenge is storage and reticulation, by end of April, I will together with the North West Premier, Bushy Maape, MEC of COGSTA, Nono Maloyi return to the Municipality to assess progress on water provisioning”, he said.
Mahlobo further mentioned that lack of water will soon be the thing of the past in all 107 villages in Moses Kotane Local Municipality. He said that currently 270 households are receiving water and an additional 3700 households will also be reticulated”, he said.
An amount of more than R1,4 billion has been approved and a 15 kilometres pipeline from Pilanesberg will ensure that communities have access to water. He also mentioned that 21% of water from Molatedi Dam to be used by Moses Kotane Local Municipality is not used due to its small Water Treatment Plant which can only treat 6000 litres per day instead of 8 million required water per day.
He tasked DWS, COGSTA and Moses Kotane Local Municipality to produce a technical report within a short period to get funding for the Water Treatment Plant” we need a plan and designs in the next two months”, he said.
He further mentioned that there should be an assessment and repairs of all boreholes that are not functioning and that all municipal water tankers must be closely monitored as they provide free water for sale.
Deputy Minister Mahlobo requested communities not to lose hope, and to work side by side with government as water will be provided to them.
Coca-Cola Africa also reiterated the importance of water and that through its partnership with the Department of Water and Sanitation, it is committed in working together with the Local government and communities to ensure that everyone has access to water.
Mr. Babongile Mandela, the Public Affairs, Communication, and Sustainable Director further called on Moses Kotane Local Municipality to tap into the Coca-Cola Africa Focus sustainability platform where they replenish water sources such as degraded landscapes and the removal of Alien Invasive plants, to ensure accessible clean drinking water to communities. He said that through this water rehabilitation Programme, the Sustainable Development Goals in ensuring clean water can be achieved.
