The Post

Some relief for lengthy South Coast water woes

JANINE MOODLEY janine.moodley@inl.co.za

AFTER seven years of water supply problems, the Ugu District Municipality is expected to receive a multimillion-rand cash injection for infrastructure projects over the next three financial years.

The commitment was made by the Department of Water and Sanitation during a parliamentary sitting recently. The initial commitment was R130 million before the department upped the amount to R225m.

Ugu, on the South Coast, consists of 81 municipal wards. These comprise local municipalities, such as Ray Nkonyeni, Umzumbe, Umdoni and Umuziwabantu.

The shortage is due to the breakdown of water services infrastructure and neglect of water storage facilities.

Taps have run dry in areas that include Ramsgate, Margate, Port Shepstone, Hibberdene, Marburg, Umtentweni, Oslo Beach and Port Edward.

The commitment came after Tim Brauteseth, a DA MP for KZN in the National Council of Provinces, asked the minister of water and sanitation how he was going to solve the region’s water crisis.

Brauteseth said he welcomed the commitment and hoped that the money would be used for its intended purpose.

“We are hopeful that the recent information from the Department of Water and Sanitation will pave the way to refurbish critical infrastructure, such as the Bhobhoyi Water Works and water storage facilities.”

He said the DA were, however, wary of past expenditure practices and said the party was engaging with the department to ensure that:

◆ The funding was spent on water infrastructure only;

◆ That tender processes were open and transparent;

◆ That payments are made in tranches for work completed; and

◆ Auditing mechanisms were in place to avoid irregular or wasteful expenditure

Leon Garbade, a councillor in the Ray Nkonyeni Municipality, said: “The money is a godsend.

“Water has been a constant struggle for residents. Imagine their heartache to repeatedly open taps, and there is not a drop of water (coming out).”

He said there had been no marked upgrade to infrastructure to meet the growing demand.

“Currently, supply does not match demand. We are pleased that this is finally happening, but we need to make sure that every cent counts and provides for meaningful upgrades.”

Roy Bhoola, a PR councillor in the Umdoni Municipality, said that while he welcomed the pledge of funds, he did not believe it was enough: “Paying customers experience tremendous hardships regularly.

“The allocation is too little to deal with the magnitude of the problem.

“Over 50% of water that Ugu pays for goes to waste because of the inability to repair old infrastructure and deal decisively with illegal connections.”

He said that if an oversight was not conducted for possible fraud and corruption by the standing committee on Parliament’s public accounts and municipal public accounts committee, communities would continue to suffer.

“The Ugu District Municipality should be placed under provincial or national administration,” he said.

Sputnik Ratau, a spokesperson for the department, said they had allocated just over R225m to Ugu in the Medium Term Expenditure Framework.

For 2022/23, Ugu would receive R70m; R75m for 2023/24; and for the 2024/25 financial year, R80.14m.

“As this is a direct grant, Ugu has the authority to prioritise and plan its own projects. Ugu has not yet submitted an intention to utilise the Water and Sanitation Infrastructure Grant (WSIG) to upgrade the Bhobhoyi Water Treatment Works, and is prioritising non-revenue water reduction projects with the WSIG funds,” Ratau said.

“The Department of Water and Sanitation has procured 20 water tankers for the Ugu district.”

France Zama, the spokesperson for the Ugu municipality, said they were waiting for the commitment in writing.

“Once we receive the finalisation, we will be able to provide details as to how the money will be used. For now, we welcome such a cash injection, especially after having to suffer from water issues for such a long time,” Zama said.

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2022-05-18T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-18T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://thepostza.pressreader.com/article/281496459888075

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