Water plan of action detailed
THE community of Shikishela near Mtubatuba will soon have uninterrupted water supply.
This was the promise of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Sipho Hlomuka after meeting with the area’s residents on Monday.
This was in response to recent violent protests which brought the R618 between Mtubatuba and Hlabisa to a close for a week, angry community members setting fire to the Hlabisa Municipality guardhouse and attacking police officers who attempted to restore law and order.
Addressing the community members with Mtubatuba Mayor Velangenkosi Gumede and uMkhanyakude District Mayor Solomon Mkhombo, Hlomuka announced that a contractor has been appointed to revive the Mpukunyoni water scheme.
Set to benefit 27 000 people, the scope of work is valued at R17-million and includes the installation of new pumps and the refurbishment of 14 boreholes.
Representatives of Tendele Coal Mining, which owns the nearby Somkhele anthracite mine, also attended the meeting and pledged to make available 30 000 litres of water to the community daily from one of its boreholes and agreed to fix the road leading to the borehole.
Hlomuka then visited the Skhemelele, Mtikini and Scabazini communities in the uMhlabuyalingana Municipality district to inform them of short-term water tanker plans.
‘We are still working on a long-term solution of installing bigger pipes, the construction of a million litre water storage facility at Mtikini School and a water distribution network. All of these will be finalised in the coming months,’ said Hlomuka.