Durban – Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu has committed himself to ensuring that the community of Mandlakazi in Zululand District Municipality in northern KwaZulu-Natal gets supplied with water.
He made the undertaking when addressing the community yesterday, following grievances that had been expressed by locals over water supply in the recent past.
Mchunu applauded the local traditional leader for taking the initiative to write to the department following community complaints over water supply in the area.
“It is important that all those in positions of leadership respond appropriately when community members have grievances on services that they are not receiving.
“In this instance the traditional leadership realised the urgency of the matter and conveyed the message to the relevant authorities; that is commendable,” said Mchunu.
The minister appealed to local councillors to alert the mayor and the district council about the water shortage in Esiphambanweni community which falls under Nongoma Municipality in Zululand district.
“If there is a need, the provincial and national government will lend a hand, because the provision of water is important and one of the most basic rights,” said the minister.
He expressed concern at learning that some community members were forced to buy water even though they couldn’t afford to, and promised that the national government would respond swiftly to the community’s concerns.
The minister told senior officials, including the deputy director-general in the department, to respond swiftly when people called for help with water supply.
“As government we are expected to supply water day and night, during the rainy season or drought and, therefore, when there are such appeals, we should move with the necessary speed,” Mchunu told department officials.
The areas under the Zululand and uMkhanyakude District Municipalities share the bulk supply of water from the so-called Black Dam and Senekal Dam whose main source is Jozini Dam.
The minister said they would look at providing infrastructure so that the two districts source their water from the Jozini Dam and supply them to communities. According to the minister, the dam is among the largest in South Africa and should be able to supply all communities in the two districts.