Pretoria - North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo says his administration is working around the clock to provide clean water on a daily basis to over 40 000 households in Mahikeng and surrounding villages.
Premier Mahumapelo reiterated his provincial government’s dedication to providing water at the launch of a R300-million project to upgrade Mmabatho Water Treatment Works.
Addressing local communities at the project site in Moletsamongoe village on Wednesday, outside Mahikeng, Premier Mahumapelo said the upgrading of the treatment plant is critical for Mahikeng’s water demands.
“We urge communities to continue using water sparingly and most importantly, to jealously guard against vandalism and stealing of the provided water infrastructure as vandalism is equal to denying communities their right to basic services, which is enshrined in the Constitution,” he said.
The project is a three-way partnership between the national Department of Water and Sanitation, the provincial government and Mahikeng local municipality.
Premier Mahumapelo said government will work hard to improve the living conditions of communities’ living through the Setsokotsane Programme, which aims to make basic services available to all communities in the province.
The upgrading phase of Mmabatho Water Treatment Works will see the plant’s capacity to release clean water to communities in Mahikeng go from 20 million litres to 30 million litres per day by November 2016.
About 48 temporary employment opportunities will be created for local communities, of which 13 will be skilled labourers, while 35 will be unskilled.
The project will be implemented in phases and will include the construction of a 25 mega-litre reinforced reservoir at the existing Lokaleng pump station site, and the construction of approximately 11km of gravity pipelines from the new Lokaleng reservoir to directly serve certain parts of Mahikeng by gravity. These two projects are set to start in 2016. - SAnews.gov.za
