Fani Mogole collects water from the only communal tape with running water in the area, at Itsoseng Informal settlement next to Cosmo City in Johannesburg, 18 February 2019, on water crisis in the area it is alleged that the area hasnt had water for two months. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
The department of water and sanitation has delivered 852 water tanks and 20 tankers to Gauteng’s water-stressed communities that have the least capacity to prevent the rapid spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19).
The department said it was working collaboratively with Rand Water and municipalities to provide water to desperate communities in the most densely populated informal settlements to reduce the chances of the virus spreading.
“Various areas in the province, including Roodepoort, Soweto, and Ennerdale in the City of Johannesburg, Hammanskraal in the City of Tshwane, benefited from the effort. Other areas that benefitted include municipalities in the West Rand District Municipality, as well as Benoni in the City of Ekurhuleni.
“Roodepoort received 100 water tanks with a capacity of 2,500 litres while Soweto got 194 x 2,500 litres and 16 x 5,000 litres capacity tanks. Hammanskraal received assistance with 57 water tanks of which 37 have a capacity of 2,500 litres and the rest have a capacity of 5,000 litres,” the department’s Gauteng Provincial Head, Sibusiso Mthembu, said.
Mthembu said Benoni received 70 water tanks with a capacity of 2,500 litres and four water tankers.
He said the West Rand District Municipality also received 126 x 5000 litres water tanks together with three water tankers, while the Lesedi Local Municipality got 34 x 2500 litres water tanks and two water tankers.
“The Midvaal Local Municipality was the recipient of 34 x 2,500 litres of water tanks with two water tankers.
“A total of 95 water tanks were also delivered in Merafong Local Municipality with 40 x 10,000 litres, 17 x 2,500 litres and 38 x 5,000 litres while 33 water tankers with 10 x 10,000 and 23 x 5,000 litres were delivered in Mogale City,” he said.
Mthembu said that as the country’s epicentre of the virus, Gauteng’s infection rate was not increasing as steeply since the lockdown, but it was still increasing.
“There was, therefore, a need for everyone to put their shoulder to the wheel to stem the infections,” he said.
He said the deployment of water tanks and tankers had increased significantly since Minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s announcement to provide water to destitute communities.
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