Tackling Izingolweni water woes
Ward 33 Councillor Bonginkosi Nyawose said they would also be engaging with traditional leaders about building on top of municipal pipes and illegal connections, as it delays water provision.
Izingolweni residents are overwhelmed with relief as they no longer have to collect water from a nearby stream.
This comes after Ugu District Municipality handed over the Izingolweni pipeline project recently.
Ugu mayor Sikhumbuzo Mqadi said the area of Izingolweni has had dry taps for a long time.
Mqadi said Ugu had made a promise a few months ago to install pipes that would supply the area with water.
“As a result of this intervention, water is now coming out from several standpipes. Some water infrastructure was damaged because it was not working for long periods of time. We are working on fixing that so that the whole of Izingolweni can have access to water. There is also a pipe in Inkulu location that we need to fix so that it can pump water from the reservoir to areas under the KwaMavundla Traditional Authority and all the way to Shobashobane,” he said.
Mqadi also expressed concerns over people building houses on top of municipal pipes.
He said they now have to divert those pipes so that water can be supplied to affected areas.
The mayor also stated that some boreholes are not functioning due to vandalism by community members.
“In some areas, we installed boreholes and solar panels about three times, but they were also vandalised. We urge residents to collaborate with us, as these boreholes play a crucial role in supplying water to areas where there are no existing pipes,” he said.
Mqadi said they also have a six-point plan that outlines their interventions to restore water.
He said the plan has targets they need to reach.
“Through this plan, we will make sure that all areas under Ugu without water eventually have access to it,” he said.
Excited about water coming out of the community tap, Mamfishana Gasa, said they used to collect water from a stream.
“As the women of Izingolweni, we are grateful to Ugu District Municipality. We will drink clean and fresh water,” he said.
Another resident, Bazolile Cele, said they used to share water with cows.
Meanwhile, Ward 33 Councillor Bonginkosi Nyawose said Izingolweni had been troubled with water outages for over eight years.
Nyawose said they would also be engaging with traditional leaders about building on top of municipal pipes and illegal connections, as it delays water provision.
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