Shayi visited the Tours Water Scheme Project on Friday, August 5 where he met with the community and stakeholders. “The progress on reticulation to households in villages such as Mogapeng, Masoma, and Mashiloane is at 76%, while progress on the bulk pipeline from the water treatment works in villages as far as Gavaza in ward 28 is now at 50%.”

He said the municipality has set aside R73 million for the 2022/23 financial year to continue with work around reticulation to more households, and the next immediate villages to benefit will include Pharare, Shilubane, and Makhwibidung. The project should ultimately benefit 25 villages. He said that the municipality is also prioritising short-term interventions as work around the multi-year project continues.

Also read: 1042 households in Zava to get water

“We were in Makhwibidung earlier today to monitor work there on the short-term intervention, and we are happy that after the delays experienced around energising the boreholes, our people now have access to water as a short-term intervention.” He also said MDM will start with public participation to encourage people who can afford it to pay for water.

“We will begin with public participation so that those that can afford it to pay do pay. Working with our local municipalities, we will also have ways to cater to our people who cannot afford water through the indigent’s register. When our people pay, we will be able to reinvest the money in our infrastructure for us to continue expanding our water provision.”