Mchunu promises action to address iLembe water challenges

Water and Sanitation minister Senzo Mchunu has committed his department’s technical team to collaborate with the iLembe district in identifying and resolving remaining water challenges.

Mchunu met with the district’s local municipalities last Tuesday to discuss progress of water and sanitation provision projects.

The iLembe district’s water infrastructure was heavily impacted by the floods in April last year, now exacerbated by ongoing loadshedding disrupting supply.

Mchunu was briefed on ongoing projects aimed at addressing challenges.

“Access to clean drinking water and proper sewage disposal are fundamental human rights that should not be compromised, irrespective of political affiliation. Henceforth, a team of engineers from the Department of Water and Sanitation will be stationed in the district,” said Mchunu.

He emphasised the primary focus would be to identify infrastructure backlogs and prioritise projects based on the urgent needs of each municipality.

Working alongside the district, which serves as the water authority, the department will explore potential funding options to ensure the timely completion of priority projects.

“This technical team will present a comprehensive plan outlining priorities for each local municipality, the funding model, and associated timelines for completing of work. We understand this will be a challenging task, but it must be done swiftly,” Mchunu said.

iLembe saw water losses of R106-million in the previous financial year.

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