BUSHBUCKRIDGE – Residents in most parts of the local municipality say they are looking forward to the day when their water crisis will come to an end.
“We have been having water problems since forever. Our grandparents died before they could even experience the joy of drinking water from a tap.
We tried everything we could to show that we need water, a basic need that should be enjoyed by every citizen, but our attempts always yield no results.
“How can we believe this now. Surely we can only hope for the best,” said Mr Lefa Mashego of Majembeni Trust.
This was in response to a statement by premier Mr David Mabuza during his State of the Province Address (SOPA) last Friday.
Mabuza said that R2,7 billion was invested in programmes for water and sanitation in the current financial year.
“Despite challenges experienced in many areas, the majority of citizens in the province enjoy access to basic services such as electricity, water and sanitation.
“We are aware that the people in Bushbuckridge have started to show concern due to problems related to water access and I can say that soon they will celebrate,” he said during his address.
He also said that the government had provided steel reservoirs to nine targeted areas to enhance bulk-water storage capacity.
According to the premier, steel water reservoirs with a capacity of two mega-litres were built in Phola, Matsulu, KaBokweni, Shabalala, Steenbok, Mangweni, Casteel, Thusanang and Cunningmore, to cater for the areas in critical need in the Mbombela, Nkomazi and Bushbuckridge municipalities.
“I am pleased that our interventions in Bushbuckridge are beginning to yield desired results. Many villages now have access to water,” added the premier.
However, Bushbuckridge Residents Association’s Mr Cleopas Maunye said that Mabuza’s promises were just talk that would not be accompanied by implementation.
He further said that he wondered why Mabuza said that people had access to water when residents had recently been protesting about lack of water.
“What’s the point of these reservoirs when there is Inyaka Dam to supply the people with water? Even last year, the same thing was said during SOPA. When are we going to see results?” Maunye said.
