Relief for rural residents as R8 million in water projects launched

Residents of Mthonjaneni Local Municipality, the majority of whom live in rural areas of the municipality, welcomed the estimated R8 million water projects that were launched in wards 10, 13, 04, and surrounding areas on Tuesday.

This comes after King Cetshwayo District mayor Councillor Thami Ntuli presided over a sod-turning ceremony to start construction of the high-impact water projects, as part of service delivery to the rural communities in the areas of Qomintaba (Ncemane), Debe and Khathazo. Before the implementation of the above projects, the Ncemane Water Scheme in Qomintaba consisted of a borehole that was initially built to have one standpipe near a 20kl storage tank, and one side extension, which did not cover the whole community of Ncemane.

Ward 10 resident Sibusisiwe Biyela said the community of Debe has suffered because of the “sour and muddied” borehole water that they have relied on for years. “We have struggled for decent water supply for years, and now that mayor Ntuli has come to lay this foundation for the water supply projects to the Mthonjaneni communities to begin construction, we are happy that we will also live like normal citizens of this country,” said Biyela.

Ntuli emphasised that the extension of Ncemane will ensure that the community receives water closer to their homes, and that water is always within the standard 200m distance for communal standpipes, and will also lead to a reduction in water tanker loads. He said the Ncemane water project, when finished, would benefit 55 households with over 12 new communal standpipes that would be installed. Ntuli added that the project was set to be completed around December.

He also officiated at the construction of the Debe Water Scheme, which was initially constructed to have the same line used as a rising main, as well as water reticulation and communal standpipes. Ntuli said the new rising main would ensure that the whole community received water equally, and over 75 households would benefit from this project. “The residents will also benefit from the extension of the Khathazo water scheme, which is a borehole that supplies water for the Khathazo community.

“The extension in Khathazo will ensure that the community receives water closer to their homes and that the area receives water supply from standpipes installed in their areas. It is expected that 35 households are set to benefit from this project, with a completion date of January 15,” Ntuli said. He further said that the projects were set to create temporary job opportunities within the duration they would take to complete.