Zuma’s water goals

PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma expressed his determination to ensure that the capacity of all water treatment plants in Giyani and the Mopani district as a whole were improved in order to ensure that water reached all the areas.

Speaking in Giyani on Friday during the launch of the Nsami dam water treatment plant, which was upgraded from producing 6,7ML of water a day to 36,7ML a day, Zuma said he would need an update from time to time with regard to water development progress in Giyani.

“I will be seeking updates from the minister of water and sanitation, and premier Stanley Mathabatha as to the progress of the water situation here,” Zuma said, adding that there was also a need to upgrade other water treatment plants in Giyani.

“I’m happy that the Nsami plant is 98% complete, but we also need to increase the capacity of the Middle-Letaba dam to ensure that every community in Giyani has access to water and sanitation,” he said.

The new water treatment plant is expected to distribute water to 55 of the 92 villages in Giyani, many of which did not have water previously.

Minister for water and sanitation, Nomvula Mokonyane, said the new plant had already halved water problems in Giyani.

“We also have interventions such as boreholes to help those who do not have water yet,” Mokonyane said.

She further said there was also a “consequence intervention”, that would ensure that those responsible for “messing up” when it came to water projects, would have to take full responsibility.