Sara Chavalala of Ndindani village in Giyani says she is relieved that water is flowing from her newly installed tap by the Mopani District Municipality. “We used to run around with water containers looking for water, but now things have changed. With a tap in my yard, I do not have to wake up early to fetch water,” explained Chavalala, thanking Mayor Shayi for making it possible.

The project is set to provide water directly to the homes of more than 2800 people in the village at a cost of around R25 million. While speaking to the community in the area, Shayi warned against sabotaging projects to accomplish certain agendas. “The water reticulation project at Maswanganyi had to be moved to Homu village after infighting for more than eight months without a solution,” he said.

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He said that delaying projects would result in funds being returned to the Treasury if not used by the deadline. “People should understand that there are things that are beyond us, like the issue of project funds. If the funds are not used by the stipulated time, the funds are withdrawn back to the Treasury, and there’s nothing anyone can do about that. This is why we appeal to you to stop sabotaging government projects,” he said.

Ndindani is one of the first 24 villages where the municipality is implementing water reticulation projects as part of the Giyani Water Project. The contractor has already done metered house connections, constructed a 150-kilolitre elevated storage tank, and also refurbished the existing reservoir.

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According to Shayi, the village is the first to receive running water from the Giyani Water Project. Although the project is not yet complete, the community does receive water from their household taps. “Now that almost all of you have water at home, it would be advisable if you could start a small garden where you could plant your vegetables to help you live a healthy lifestyle,” he stated.