Durban — The African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal said it is encouraged by the hard work and determination of the ANC leadership in Nokuhamba Nyawo Region to ensure access to water for thousands of people in the entire Umkhanyakude District Municipality in KZN.
This was after the Umkhanyakude district mayor Sihle Mdaka said the licence to abstract water directly from the Jozini Dam, which is part of the Pongola River, will enhance the piped water supply to households who have not had access to clean water.
The ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo said Mdaka had briefed the party about processes of granting of a water licence to the municipality by the Department of Water and Sanitation, led by Minister Senzo Mchunu.
“We are heartened by the minister’s commitment to ensure speed and guide the ANC-led district municipality throughout the process to ensure that they are able to extract water directly from Jozini Dam. The volume is 3. 5 cubic meters for sole use by the people of Umkhanyakude,” said Mtolo.
He added that for more than 40 years, the Jozini dam had been used to ferry water through villages of uMkhanyakude District to far away destinations without the surrounding communities benefiting from the water.
Mdaka said over the years, there have been problems with providing the necessary infrastructure to ensure water delivery to the households in the area.
“We have a state-of-the-art plant for water purification around Jozini, which has a full capacity of 40 megalitres a day, and because now we have the right to abstract water from the dam, this will assist in terms of ensuring that we have enough purified water,” he said.
Mtolo said the government is now ensuring that water from the dam is reticulated to the surrounding communities for the benefit of all residents.
“A special tribute to Senzo Mchunu, the former ANC provincial chair, for leading all efforts with his capable team of technical experts and dedicated officials,” he said.
He further said they salute all the ANC deployed for the wonderful work they are doing. Furthermore Mtolo said the ANC would continue to monitor the rollout of massive water supply programme by the ANC government throughout the corners of this province.
He said: “We have mandated the ANC-led in Department of Water and Sanitation, Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs to ensure that Water Utilities are strengthened to rapidly increase bulk water supply and establish more water treatment plants and storage facilities across all municipalities in the province.”
Daily News