The project is critical for addressing water supply issues in Giyani, and Mashatile was there on Friday to oversee its implementation. “We want all the villages in Giyani to have access to water, not just a few. I have instructed both the minister and deputy ministers to ensure this is followed through until every household has access to water,” said the deputy president during the media briefing in N’wakhuwani village outside Giyani. “Only nine of the 24 villages in the first phase have been completed.
The remaining villages are on track, and by the end of November, we will have completed all 24 villages in this phase,” he said, adding that the villages in the next phase should Deputy President Paul Mashatile speaks to the community of N’wakhuwani village on Friday. be completed within a reasonable time. “When we initially received the report stating that the remaining 25 villages would get water in the next two years, we said no, this cannot take that long.”
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“We insisted that they ensure people have access to water within a reasonable period,” he said, instructing both the minister and deputy ministers of water and sanitation to expedite the process. Ginani Rikhotso from Vuhehli village interrupted the media briefing to inform the deputy president that the water reticulation project in his village had stalled. “I’m from Vuhehli village, about 2km from here. Our project has stopped.
Former Minister Senzo Mchunu is aware of this and at one point even instructed the executive mayor and others to come and see what was happening, but they never did,” he said to the deputy president. In response, Acting Premier Basikopo Makamu said they would look into the matter. “We have heard your concerns, and we will follow up to ensure that the project in your village is completed alongside the other projects in the first phase, as it is part of the twenty-four villages we are currently working on,” he said.
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In response to a question regarding farmers’ alleged blockage of water catchment to Letaba Dam, Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina said they have received a preliminary report on the matter and are currently awaiting a full report to guide their next steps. “We cannot act on a preliminary report, as we are still waiting for a comprehensive report that includes a response from the person implicated in the allegation.”
“Once that process is complete, we will make a public statement outlining our findings and the next steps,” she explained, adding that no one has a right to block a natural resource from reaching other people. “Those are some of the things we will be reviewing the recommendations and where we can intervene to ensure that the people in the area get water without compromising the farming activities of the farmer,” she said, adding that the government aimed to promote the sharing of water resources rather than penalising the farmer.
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Hosi Mahumani (Aaron Mahumani) urged the government to keep its promises to maintain trust among communities. “When the president was here last year, he promised that by March we would have water, yet almost a year later, the first phase is still unfinished. As leaders, it becomes difficult to know what to say to our people if the government fails to meet its promises,” he said.
