POLOKWANE – The Polokwane Mayor, John Mpe said they have identified three ways in which the prevailing water crisis can be resolved.
Mpe outlined the short, medium and long-term strategies during a community engagement session with Seshego residents at the Ngoako Ramahlodi Hall on Thursday (September 1).
The engagement follows a protest by Seshego residents over billing issues and lack of water supply in the area on Tuesday (August 30).
Read more: WATCH: Seshego residents protest over billing issues
Mpe said short term strategies include the completion of all pending municipal projects in order for the municipality to focus on the provision of water.
“We are already providing 1 mega-liter a day with our current plant. We want to build a water purification plant which can carry up to 10 mega-liters per day,” he said.
Mpe noted that the municipality met with Lepelle Northern Water to express their dissatisfaction with the water utility’s poor infrastructure, which is reported broken on a regular basis.
He said that they are confident that its officials will ‘put their house in order’ through their newly appointed CEO.
You might also want to read: Polokwane’s leadership tackles water challenges
Medium-term strategies, he said, are planned for the next 3-5 years with R1.5m said to have been made available to increase water reception at all relevant points supplied by the municipality.
Mpe said he is confident that the budget will enhance the Ebenezer and Olifantspoort Water Supply Schemes.
As part of the municipality’s long-term plans, Mpe said they are going to open a water company that will look after the supply of water and it’s infrastructure.
“We are going to call it Polokwane Water. It will concentrate on our projects and our water plants to operate smoothly”
The city has had an inconsistent supply of water over several months with many residents and business left frustrated and angry over a lack of water.
Mpe told residents that the municipality agreed on the three-tier system because water is central in developing the city to metro status.
“Our economy will not develop without water. Our small businesses will not grow and the people will not live well”, he added.
