UDM Councillor vows to see Msinga water project through to the very end

After almost 12 years since the appointment of a service provider to supply the community of Msinga with a bulk water system, Umzinyathi District Municipality’s DA Councillor Sibusiso Mbatha has vowed ‘to pin my eyes on the project until completion’.
This comes after a site visit he undertook in May last year with an official from the district’s technical team to inspect the area and provide a report in response to an outcry from the community of Ward 14 and surrounding areas who are deprived of this precious resource.
Thus far, three contractors have been appointed for the Mbono regional bulk water supply project, yet none have taken the project to fruition. The latest contractor, Latifa Construction, also failed to meet the stipulated deadline of completing the project by the end of 2022.
In his quest to start the new year on a ‘clean slate of accountability’, Cllr Mbatha says he followed up with the technical team on the progress of the project.
One of the major delays cited that halted progress was the appointment of a service provider to supply an Eskom connection, among other issues.
Cllr Mbatha said that even though they have noted technical glitches beyond their control, the main interest was in ensuring that the project reaches completion as effectively as possible. “It is inhumane for the community not to have a stable water supply for almost a decade.
“A water crisis is a human rights violation according to the Water Services Act and we all need to come to the party in ensuring that glitches and excuses do not violate that.
“It is for this reason that we keep our eyes on this project and hold everyone accountable until the day the community gets a stable and uninterrupted water supply from a fully completed project,” said an adamant Cllr Mbatha.
The revised completion date for the Sampofu water commission is April 28.