Water and soap are the most essential products in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Monday, June 15 Springvalley Primary School and Landau Combined School did not open because of the lack thereof.

This unsettling news came after water tanks were donated by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) to fill the huge water gap in Emalahleni.

The local municipality received 20 of the 500 water tanks donated to Mpumalanga.

Mining companies in the area and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs also stepped on board and donated more water tanks.

The water tanks are part of the interventions to enable a reliable supply of water to communities to ensure that people regularly wash their hands with soap and water to contain the spread of the deadly Coronavirus.

One of the responsibilities of the municipality is to make sure that the tanks are filled regularly.

“We know that the municipality is growing rapidly and a need to provide water services is crucial. The communities of Empumelelweni, Siyanqoba, and farming communities are given a priority in this regard,” said municipal spokesperson Mr Lebo Mofokeng.

He said the municipality would like to thank the contributions made by the DWS and other stakeholders regarding the water tankers during this period of COVID-19.

The municipality urges the communities to take ownership of water infrastructure and guard against any forms of vandalism as the equipment and infrastructure will continue to provide reliable water supply even after the lockdown and COVID-19 period. They also ask that communities monitor the water tankers and tanks to prevent corruption and report any misuse.

With regards to Spring Valley primary School, Mofokeng said the school only needed assistance with taps on the Jojo tanks which the team attended to.

“The community then said that they want their windmill to be functional, which is not our duty, but we promised to assist.”

Mofokeng said a local mine indicated that they will assist with Landau Combined School, “We should also bear in mind that it’s the responsibility of the Department Public Works however the taps were installed.”