The beneficiaries of RDP houses built in the area might have to wait even longer before moving in, three months after the houses had been completed. Mthokozisi Nxumalo, a beneficiary, told Lowvelder Express they had initially been promised they would be able to move into the houses on December 15, but they still have no proper shelter for their families.
READ: RDP beneficiaries still waiting to be housed in Tekwane South
This week, the water supplier Silulumanzi said due to water scarcity in areas around City of Mbombela Local Municipality (CMLM), it was unsure when it would complete pumping water to the reservoir to supply the newly built houses.
Richmond Jele, spokesperson for Silulumanzi, revealed that the capacity of the water treatment plant in KaNyamazane was already being stretched and may not be able to cope with additional households.
“The water treatment works and the water pump lines supplying Tekwane South and Entokozweni would need upgrades in order to supply water to the new housing development. “As the situation currently stands, the water supply system is already not coping having to provide adequate water supply to Tekwane South and Entokozweni due to the illegal water connections on the water pump lines feeding the reservoirs.
“The residents of the households around Mpumalanga Regional Training Trust and on the mountain have made illegal water connections to the water pump lines. This caused massive water leaks on the pump lines and made them susceptible to frequent pipe bursts,” he said.
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“Silulumanzi is awaiting guidance from the municipality on the way forward,” he added. On February 24, businessman and contractor for the houses,
Ray Mhlabane of Sihle Construction, told this publication that his company completed more than 150 RDP houses on the site. “We have done our part; all the infrastructure, including a sewer line which will also service the entire community of Tekwane South, is on the ground. We are only delayed by a water pump which is a responsibility of Silulumanzi. Our security are onsite to secure the premises from any form of theft and vandalism,” he said. Freddy Ngobe, spokesperson for the Department of Human Settlements, said the department and CMLM were engaging Silulumanzi to finalise all logistics to pump water into the reservoir.
