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Minister assesses state of water and sanitation in NC

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Minister of Water and Sanitation Senzo Mchunu visited the Northern Cape as part of the Provincial Ministerial Working sessions this week.

Picture: Supplied

THE MINISTER of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, visited the Northern Cape as part of the Provincial Ministerial Working sessions from January 24 to 26.

The three-day visit included engagements with Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) officials, a provincial government delegation led by the Northern Cape Premier Zamani Saul and the Sedibeng Water Board.

On Tuesday, Mchunu was joined by Deputy Minister David Mahlobo on a site visit to the Vaal-Gamagara Water Treatment Plant to assess the state of the plant, before meeting with the Ministry Water Services Authorities on Wednesday.

Mchunu called on officials to change the turnaround time of projects being completed.

He said the narrative that the department is “slow” needs to be changed.

“We’ve got to change the narrative. People are saying the department is slow, that is not right. Have set plans and timelines. Do not shoot too high and then not meet your own expectations,” Mchunu told department officials.

Saul said the meeting with the minister was “timely”.

He pointed out that the Water Services Authorities (WSA) faced major challenges.

According to Saul, water sources are not necessarily a problem, but rather the infrastructure functionality is.

Sedibeng Water Board’s acting chairperson, Sphetho Siyengo, said the biggest challenge for the organisation is the recovery of money owed to it by municipalities.

Siyengo said it is difficult for them to do their jobs when municipalities won’t do their part.

“The challenge is that the institutions we serve owe us R7 billion,” he said.

Siyengo commended Saul for being the “middleman” between the organisation and municipalities as a means to ensure payment from the municipalities.

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