Durban - The uThukela district municipality in northern KwaZulu-Natal says two multi-million rand water schemes commissioned on Tuesday in Bergville and Weenen will ease the water crisis that has plagued these areas in recent years.
The district municipality eagerly wants them to be completed within the stipulated time-frames.
The first scheme is worth R12 million and it is called Amangwane and it lies in the foot hills of the famous Drakensberg mountains, a very popular tourist attraction.
According to the district mayor, Inkosi Ntantoyenkosi Shabalala, this scheme should be done within 12 months and it would benefit not only tourism establishments, but also the growing number of households nearby.
“In fact, we have planned three water projects for the Okhahlamba (Zulu name for Bergville) area.
“We anticipate that this water project should be done within 12 months and on top of businesses, about 200 households will be connected to the water grid,” Shabalala told IOL.
Another the water project Shabalala commissioned is one in the town of Weenen near Estcourt, and once finished, it will increase the existing capacity which serves the town and households.
Weenen is another KwaZulu-Natal Midlands town and its Big Five game reserves are popular with tourists from all over the world.
Over the festive season, it suffered when its water supply from Estcourt was disrupted for days due to an illegal go-slow by municipal workers.
“What we are going to do there is to increase the capacity of our plant there so that the people living there don’t struggle for water.
“The contractor will build a bigger pipeline from an existing plant and take the water to the area’s existing consumers,” Shabalala added.
The municipality is responsible for water and sanitation in the local municipalities of Alfred Duma (Ladysmith), Inkosi Langalibalele (Estcourt) and Okhahlamba (Bergville).
It has been forced to race against time after its ageing infrastructure, some of which was installed in 1956, started experiencing challenges, thus causing frequent water and sanitation challenges in the entire district.
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