Water to be supplied to desperate Ugu residents on a ‘rotational basis’

Residents living on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast could be supplied with water on a “rotational basis”.

This is one of the “short- and long-term interventions” cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) MEC Sipho Hlomuka promised desperate residents, who frequently go without water for weeks.

Following violent and fiery protests in the Ugu district last week, Hlomuka on Tuesday led a delegation of municipal and provincial government officials to address residents on the steps taken to resolve service delivery challenges within the district.

The interventions include:

• supplying water on a rotational basis with the prior communication of schedules to ensure communities are kept abreast consistently;
• connecting to the Eastern Cape’s power supply to allow more water to be extracted from the Umthavuna River for purification and distribution to Ezingolweni, KwaXolo and Southbroom (this project is fully funded by Cogta to the tune of R14m and is being implemented with Eskom);
• upgrading the KwaXolo bulk water supply scheme to increase supply to the KwaXolo and Izingolweni network;
• exploring ground water systems such as boreholes and springs to augment the inadequate bulk capacity of the Bhobhoyi northern system; and
• bulk water supply to be augmented through the Mhlabashane supply scheme based on agreement with Umgeni Water to increase production capacity in the Louisiana and Maygong areas and the KwaMadlala pump station upgrade.

Hlomuka’s department said in the long term, the national department of water and sanitation commissioned the construction of Cwabeni Dam to further alleviate the pressure.

The project is due for completion in 2023.

“In the meantime, the delivery of water through tankers is being enhanced to maximise the efficiency thereof. In some areas, static tanks are being added at strategic points to ensure regular water provision. MEC Hlomuka has pledged his department’s readiness to monitor the implementation of these measures,” Cogta said.

The municipality has been plagued with water woes for four years and has put the blame on acts of “sabotage” on the already ailing water supply infrastructure. This is holding towns along the KZN coastline, from Hibberdene to Harding, to ransom.

The Ugu district municipality claims not to know the identity of the saboteurs, while residents believe the obvious culprits are more than 100 municipal workers who were dismissed last year for participating in an illegal strike.

However, the  SA Municipal Workers Union claims corrupt municipal workers are colluding with contractors to share profits from tenders.

The police have not found the “third force” that has been smashing water pipes, closing valves, draining reservoirs and setting alight pump stations to leave hospitals, clinics, schools and homes without water for weeks. Municipal vehicles have been torched, electrical boxes destroyed and waterworks generators burnt.

Residents have been forced to buy bottled water to cook and wash dishes, use wet wipes to clean themselves and carry water from swimming pools to do laundry.

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