More water tankers to address supply issues
FROM this week, King Cetshwayo District (KCD) Municipality will increase the number of water tanker deliveries to affected areas to address the growing shortage of this resource.
This was announced last week by District Mayor Thami Ntuli at the District Service Delivery Imbizo and handover of Local Economic Development projects at Emkhandlwini sport field in Mthonjaneni.
“Right now, we have
52 water tankers. Forty were bought last year, and we are in the process of buying 10 more. Two were donated by the Development Bank of South Africa,” said Ntuli.
He explained that they were in the final stages of hiring drivers who would work shifts from Monday to Saturday to ensure water supply delivery is increased.
“We are doing so because we want to avoid paying overtime. The use of water tankers is not a permanent solution,” he commented, adding that increased water supply would target those with the most serious shortages.
Ntuli said he would undertake a physical investigation to establish how many tanks there were in each ward.
This after he was informed that in one ward there were 14 tanks, but when speaking to the residents, they said there were none.
"I will embark on this investigation to establish whether this is true. If these tanks are nowhere to be found, I will institute a forensic investigation to establish what happened."
“This is an expensive exercise because the money we pay for one water tanker a month is equivalent to a borehole, which can provide water for almost 10 years without any challenges.”
Ntuli added that he was not happy about the cost of mounting a communal tank.
“I have been informed that it costs about R37 000 to install a 5 000 litre communal tank, which includes purchase, delivery, and installation. I think that it is too much,” he said.
During the imbizo, Ntuli provided local co-operatives with equipment and stock, while two SMMEs received sewing machines.
Donations included 69 wheelbarrows and watering cans, 200 chicks and goats, fencing material to 35 beneficiaries, seedlings and implements to 150 beneficiaries, block material to five beneficiaries, and toolkits to six crafters.