Mapping forward a sure way to water
"The emergency meeting at the Makhado Municipality council chambers gave new hope and the necessary momentum for us to achieve the mutual goal of consistent water flow to Louis Trichardt and Tshikota," Schultz said.
LOUIS TRICHARDT – Local AfriForum chairperson, Wally Schultz’s move to take the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM) back to high court on contempt charges received the attention of the municipality’s new management.
A water shortage in Louis Trichardt and Tshikota left the taps in these areas dry for the past month. In an emergency meeting at the Makhado Municipality council chambers last Thursday, Schultz addressed VDM senior management and councillors on the implications of this move to take court action.
“The meeting gave new hope and the necessary momentum for us to achieve the mutual goal of consistent water flow to Louis Trichardt and Tshikota,” Schultz said.
“Having the heads of the finance, technical services and infrastructure portfolio committees on board and giving their full support to AfriForum’s water action plan was a first for local government. It is a unique new partnership that bodes well for the future of service delivery,” Schultz added.
Lucy Mulaudzi, who chaired the meeting, closed with this statement: “We want to thank Schultz and AfriForum for their commitment in assisting the municipality in delivering water to town. We also live here and want to open taps and see water flowing. Let us all resolve to meet regularly as a new steering committee to support each other in implementing the plan on the table”.
The new technical services acting general manager, Eric Muneri, scheduled a full inspection tour of the borehole system to assess progress, and committed himself to implementing AfriForum’s plan, which Schultz believed would provide consistent water to town when fully implemented. “The plan is a simple one and is almost done now; we can see the finish line and this new commitment by VDM will hopefully get us there.
“The plan has three parts: to refurbish old boreholes and secure them, to drill three new boreholes at Mowkop and to link existing boreholes in town to the Berg Street reservoir,” Schultz explained.
VDM project manager, Ernest Mabonyane, informed the meeting: “Of the three new boreholes at Mowkop, we have already drilled two and will complete the third in a few days”. This news was welcomed by AfriForum.
Schultz said while he was encouraged by these new developments, AfriForum head office was determined to proceed with legal action and had already set the wheels in motion.
“Moses Shibambu, VDM’s communications officer, deserves credit for helping me get this new powerful steering committee together. But it will take immediate urgent action by VDM for us to put legal proceedings on hold,” Schultz concluded.
