Use water sparingly urges city mayor
To demonstrate the seriousness of the drought, night time water cuts have been implemented
EVERYBODY must play their part using water sparingly.
Speaking at the joint budget and IDP roadshow of the uThungulu District Municipality and City of uMhlathuze in Ngwelezane wards on Sunday, uMhlathuze Mayor Mduduzi Mhlongo reminded the community that the effects of the drought was not only felt in the city, but the entire province was declared a drought disaster area.
‘To demonstrate our seriousness of the drought, we have implemented water cuts at night between 10pm and 4 am in the city and surrounds.
‘The Department of Water Affairs and Sanitation has already issued a directive to Mhlathuze Water to restrict water allocation to our municipality to force compliance with level 4 restrictions.
‘The bottom line is we can’t afford to continue ignoring ongoing calls to reduce water consumption. If we don’t change our attitude, our taps will run dry on a daily basis, and eventually altogether,’ said Mhlongo.
He also announced that his municipality has allocated R1million for the construction of a pound which will be used to house cattle that roam unattended in Empangeni and Richards Bay, creating dangerous situations for motorists.
‘We understand that the drought has hit hard in most rural areas, hence the influx of cattle in our towns in search of grazing.’
Presenting the City’s 2016/2017 R3-billion budget, Mhlongo highlighted some projects in the pipeline. These included the upgrading of sport grounds, community halls and taxi ranks.
‘The municipality is in the process of purchasing temporary shelters to cater for community members whose homes were damaged by heavy rains and storms,’ added Mhlongo who was accompanied by Councillors from the City of uMhlathuze and the uThungulu District Municipality.
