Residents of Tswelelang, outside Wolmaransstad in the North West Province, said they are tired of empty promises made by government officials every time they visit their place.
They raised this on Friday, August 18, during the Thuntsha Lerole Programme led by the acting Premier Nono Maloyi, which aims to improve service delivery and ensure that people in the North West Province can access all essential services such as water.
The residents said they have been struggling with water since last year. However, up to now, there needs to be an improvement in resolving the water challenges they face in Tswelelang, despite the visits made by Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, in January and now Maloyi.
Tatlhego Legodu, 83, from Extension 10 in Tswelelang, said their biggest challenge is water in their township because they need more than Jojo tanks water for them.
"I only survive by driving to town in Wolmaransstad to fetch some water because there's always a long queue in the Jojo tanks. I'm looking forward to seeing changes and progress after today's initiative made by Premier Maloyi," he said.
The Executive Mayor of Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality, Councillor Nikiwe Num, who is championing the Thuntsha Lerole Programme in the district, said they are faced with five vital critical issues, with water being the biggest challenge, particularly in Maquassi Hills Local Municipality due to a lack of capacity on bulk infrastructure.
She said having small pipes that distribute water from the reservoir is one of the things that contribute to their challenge. At the same time, they also have to work on ways to capacitate the community's supply because the population has grown in the area.
"We have realized that in some areas there's no connection to the distribution site while other areas have the ageing asbestos pipes that are no longer supposed to be used, and the solution to this is getting funds and coming up with a strategy on how to strengthen internal and infrastructure capacity so that our residents can have water," she said.
While talking to Mo-Media at Tswelelang, Maloyi said it is unfortunate that progress has not been made to resolve water challenges in the area since their last visit with Minister Mchunu. He said the laziness of people who do not want to do their work and a lack of capacity are why the residents are still suffering in accessing water.
"I am expecting a clear report next week from those responsible, and I'm told that there are old valves that are closed, and once they are opened, water scarcity will be something of the past in this area. Water is life; without it, you can't survive. That is why it is our top priority in everything we do as a provincial government", he said.
Maloyi further said he has spoken to Sandile Mkhize, Chief Executive Officer of Magalies Water to send a contractor on-site to attend to water challenges in Wolmaransstad.
