Many communities have now access to water - President

By Maanda Mulaudzi

In 2009 democratic government declared the Giyani area a disaster zone, and subsequently adopted it into the Presidential Siyahlola Programme. President Jacob Zuma remarked this during Freedom Day celebration which was held at Giyani Stadium on 27 April 2016.

He said that in order to address the critical challenge of water, his government, through the Department of Water and Sanitation issued an emergency directive in August 2014 to Lepelle Northern Water to regularise water and sanitation provision in the Mopani District.

The President further announced that there were a number of projects that his government completed  in the Mopani District. These are the completion of groundwater augmentation of 16 priority villages and that of Nkensani Hospital. Also completed is the building of the Giyani Wastewater Treatment Works and the refurbishment of the Giyani Wastewater Treatment Plant.

“Some of the millstones’ in the project to date include the revitalising of 154 boreholes with package plants to ensure the water becomes fit for human consumption. Furthermore, there is the construction of a thirty five mega litres’ reservoir that will be completed in June 2017.”

“Operations and maintenance support has also taken place to repair about 270 kilometres of existing lines, 9pump stations and 14 reservoirs. At the moment, all 55 villages in Giyani have access to bulk water supply due to the interventions”.

“To further promote water supply in Limpopo province, government has the Mogalakwena Bulk Water Supply projects within the Waterberg District Municipality that will be implemented in the current financial year. The project aims to deliver water to Mokopane Town, and villages to the immediate north of Mokopane Town. Ninety-four thousand (94 000) people and mines in the surrounding area will benefit from the project”. He said.