R6.5 million water and sanitation projects handed over to Bethal rural communities
The projects are expected to improve access to clean, reliable water and basic sanitation services for residents, particularly those living on farms.
The Govan Mbeki Municipality has received two completed water and sanitation infrastructure projects valued at more than R6.5 million, benefiting rural communities in Ward 15, Bethal.
The projects, implemented as part of Thungela’s Annea Colliery Social and Labour Plan (SLP), were officially handed over on August 20.
Implemented in phases, the projects are expected to improve access to clean, reliable water and basic sanitation services for residents, particularly those living on farms.
The newly completed water infrastructure at Umcebo Village includes two boreholes, with two water tanks installed at each borehole, as well as 11 street pipes feeding the tanks.
Before the project was implemented, residents living on farms largely depended on municipal water tankers for their water supply.
The new infrastructure is expected to reduce the community’s reliance on tankers while providing a more sustainable and reliable source of water.
The intervention also includes the installation of 110 dry sanitation toilets across four farms, while two farms have benefited from improved access to water.
Addressing residents during the handover, Govan Mbeki Municipality Executive Mayor Nhlakanipho Zuma emphasised that access to basic services such as water, food and shelter is fundamental to the dignity and wellbeing of communities.
“As government, working together with companies and the business sector, we have come to an agreement that each community that resides close to a mine or business must benefit from the SLP projects undertaken in that particular mining area,” said Zuma.
Zuma highlighted the importance of ensuring that communities living alongside mining operations experience tangible benefits from the economic activities taking place in their areas.
He stressed that development initiatives must respond to genuine community needs and that local residents should be prioritised for employment and economic opportunities arising from projects implemented in their communities.
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