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THE lion’s share of the Amathole District Municipality’s R1.5-billion will go towards eradicating the bucket toilet system and providing water and sanitation.

The district authority will spend R1.39-billion of its R1.5 billion on reducing sanitation backlogs and managing water infrastructure, spokesman Siyabulela Makunga said.

The district, which has been one of the worst affected by the drought, has seen residents and inmates at the Middledrift Prison at times going for weeks without water, while villagers are still subjected to using bucket toilets.

But Makunga said such conditions could soon be a thing of the past as the municipality was working hard to restore people’s dignity by providing the basic services.

“We will focus on bucket system eradication, reduce sanitation backlogs and manage water infrastructure during the financial year, where we will spend R1.39-billion of our total budget of R1.5-billion on providing water and sanitation,” Makunga said.

The current backlog per municipality of access to water is 531 households in Ngqushwa municipality, 100 in Great Kei, 5 703 in Mbashe, 624 in Amahlati and 7 371 in Mnquma, Makunga said.

The Daily Dispatch reported in January that thousands of people in Middledrift were without water after the municipality owed Amatola Water Board R86.3-million.

Makunga said mayor Winnie Nxawe would engage the public on Friday in Alice, where ADM residents would also make suggestions as to what the municipality should spend the 2018/19 financial year budget on.

At the integrated development plan and budget meeting on Friday, Nxawe will be accompanied by her mayoral committee, mayors of the local municipalities and Amathole municipal manager Thandekile Mnyimba.

“Ahead of the roadshow, the executive mayor adopted a programme that would ensure that all towns within the district are to be visited, thus ensuring that all community members are allowed to make inputs into the draft IDP and budget documents, as required by legislation,” Makunga said.

Last week, ADM took its roadshow to Mnquma, where residents had their say as to what the district should prioritise.

Acting mayor Ngenisile Tekile told residents that: “As the community, you are the ones that put us in power. There wouldn’t be a municipality without you. It is why, over and above the legislation and requirements of the law, we take the duty to come to you as we want your inputs.” Makunga echoed Tekile. “ADM has managed to provide water services to 93% of households and sanitation services to 64% of households,” Makunga said.