Minister Mchunu assesses Sekhukhune water projects
Groblersdal
The Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, together with his deputies, David Mahlobo and Judith Tshabalala and the Executive Mayor of Sekhukhune District Municipality (SDM), Cllr Minah Bahula, have met with the Lebalelo Water Users Association (LWUA) at SDM Offices in Groblersdal on Friday 1 December 2023, to assess progress on the Olifants Management Model Programme (OMM).
The R27 Billion OMM Programme is an infrastructure development project launched last year in October at Ga-Malekana in Burgersfort, Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality and it is undertaken by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in partnership with the LWUA to address water supply challenges to the communities in Limpopo.
The programme is a 50/50 public-private partnership between the DWS and LWUA and is meant to fast-track potable and bulk raw water infrastructure development to ensure that communities, mining and agriculture sectors, and other companies in Sekhukhune District, Polokwane and Mogalakwena Local Municipalities have sustainable water provision by 2030.
This project is also aimed at providing bulk and portable water infrastructure supply that will also assist commercial water users.
Addressing the meeting, Mchunu said the plan is also to fast-track the project, which he said will be to roll-out water developmental infrastructure programmes to assist both the Agriculture and Mining companies in Sekhukhune, Polokwane and Mogalakwena by the year 2030.
“But importantly to look into the agreement the department has with LWUA and zoom into their report on how far they are on the state of water and sanitation provision in Sekhukhune,” he said.
The minister provided feedback into the investigation, he commissioned around the R143 Million drought relief project set aside in 2020, to address water supply challenges in Moutse, in Elias Motsolaledi Local Municipality (EMLM) by Lepelle Northern Water as the implementing agent.
Speaking on the side-lines of the meeting, Mayor Bahula said as government, they should come to a consensus and realisation that people have the right to access water services.
“It can’t be business as usual. We must urgently develop plans to ensure sustainable access to water which will in turn, promote sustainable livelihoods. If it means taking the route of performing skills audit on our employees, to ensure that services are rendered to our people, then let it be so, and we shall report to the minister,” she said.
The executive mayor also added emphatically: “Our water resources like De Hoop Dam and Flag Boshielo are full to capacity, really, time for excuses is over now.”
Also present in the meeting was the Limpopo DWS, Head, Lucy Kobe and the local municipality mayors in the Sekhukhune District.
Several traditional authorities were also in attendance to get first-hand information on what the new crop of generation political leaders in the district were committing towards in as far as this thorny issue of the most important commodity is concerned.
Meanwhile, the entourage of political leaders proceeded to Philadelphia Sports Grounds in Dennilton for an interface with communities of Moutse and the surrounding areas to appraise them and give feedback on water scarcity matters.
