Presenting the 2015/2016 financial year budget during the special council meeting last Friday, the Executive Mayor, Nkakareng Rakgoale said of the R1 524 914 714 total budget, R506 662 000 will be used to address the water shortage and sanitation challenges in the district in the coming financial year which begins next month.
The district has experienced violence service delivery protests by various communities demanding water supply in the current 2014/2015 financial year.
“One of the greatest concerns that have featured broadly during our consultation process is the shortage of water in many parts of our district and we have decided to continue intensifying our programs of supplying water in the district,” said Rakgoale.
She said R181 948 000 will be allocated to Maruleng Local Municipality for the construction of the Mametja Sekororo Raw Water Scheme, the upgrading of water reticulation network in various villages within the area, Hoedspruit Bulk Water Supply, Kampersrus Water Supply and Sewerage Scheme.
Greater Tzaneen will be allocated R174 511 000 for upgrading the Jopie to Mawa Bulk Water Supply, to continue with the construction of the Lephephane Bulk Water Scheme and the upgrading of water reticulation schemes in various villages in the area and the completion of the Nkowankowa and Lenyenye Sewer Projects.
“We are encouraged by the requisite progress that we are making in the Greater Letaba Municipality area with regard to water supply. We will however spend R32 500 000 to implement the next phase of the Sefofotse to Ditshoshini Bulkline, Sekgosese Ground Water Scheme and the upgrading of reticulations in various villages in the area,” said Rakgoele.
Ba-Phalaborwa will be allocated an amount of R98 619 000 for the Selwane Water Scheme upgrade, the rehabilitation of the Lulekani and Namakgale Waste Water Treatment Plant, the upgrading of Water Reticulation in various areas within Baphalaborwa.
Rakgoale said in Giyani, the Department of Water and Sanitation has intervened to address water shortage challenges.
“Through this intervention, the upgrade of the Giyani Water Scheme has been completed in time and is supplying clean running water to the area and 55 surrounding villages,” she said.
She conceded that they are still challenges which makes the scheme not to reach all the areas. Some of these challenges include old and non- coping conveyer pipes and illegal connections.
She added that the Department of Water and Sanitation workers are still on site in the Greater Giyani area to completely address the remaining challenges.
She further said the district municipality has spent R8 777 000 on Household Sanitation Phase Five to deal with sanitation backlogs in the Greater Giyani area.
“For the purposes of repairs and maintenance of infrastructure in the district we budgeted an amount of R86 110 000. We will spend R10 Million on smart metering system and the installation of tracking device on some of our water infrastructure to fight the theft of these assets,” she concluded.
