Pretoria - Over 16 000 households will benefit from a R52 million Makapanstad and Mathibestad Bulk Water Project, which aims to address water shortages in villages of Moretele Local Municipality in the North West.
The bulk water project, which includes the building of reservoirs for proper water storage and distribution in the area, was revealed to communities during a sod turning event held at Mathibestad, in Moretele recently.
Unveiling the project, North West MEC for Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Manketsi Tlhape, said government is delivering on yet another one of its promises of improving the lives of people.
“You have made your concerns clear and we are now responding as government. We are not just fulfilling our promise but we are also delivering on our constitutional responsibility and mandate of ensuring that our communities have access to clean water,” said Tlhape.
Upon completion, Tlhape said the project will address water shortages in 13 villages namely, Kwa-Mmatlwaela, Tladistad, Leeukraal, Kgomo-Kgomo, Kontante, Moretele, Makapanstad, Phomolong, Potoane, Prieska, Mathibestad, Thulwe and Opperman.
“It will ensure that water shortages in these areas are an issue of the past,” she said.
Tlhape also cautioned the community to bear in mind that the North West is faced with a harsh reality of underground water diminishing day by day.
“As a matter of fact, the Premier has even had to pronounce our province as a disaster area. The fact is that we are in a draught situation and we are pulling all stops to devise some means to make sure that we have at least drinkable water for ourselves as well as livestock. We need to use water sparingly,” she said.
The Mathibestad and Makapanstad Bulk Water Project is funded through the Provincial Infrastructure Grant and Municipal Infrastructure Grant.
Moretele Local Municipality Mayor Sello Lehare said that since the year 2000, the municipality has been struggling with water supply, as they depended on Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality to supply them with water.
“Due to our growing population, the 18 Mega litres per day supplied by Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality is no longer adequate. We have even explored various methods of temporary water supply such as putting up water tanks and having trucks supplying water but we still could not address water shortage,” Lehare said. – SAnews.gov.za
