Government Interventions Address Poor Water Quality in Hammanskraal

The government has taken immediate and long-term actions to resolve the water crisis and poor water quality issues in the Hammanskraal community in Pretoria.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, accompanied by Gauteng Province Premier Panyaza Lesufi, ministers, and the Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane, Cllr Cilliers Brink, visited the affected community as reported by Gauteng.gov. The visit followed a cholera outbreak that claimed the lives of 23 people.

Prior to engaging with the community, President Ramaphosa assessed the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment plant to understand its condition. Subsequently, a community meeting was held at Temba Stadium.

During his address, President Ramaphosa highlighted the lack of maintenance of the plant, which was originally built in the 1950s. He revealed that the Tshwane Municipality allocates only R14 million per month for maintenance, while the actual requirement is R60 million.

“This underfunding is the first issue because despite the community paying for their water, the money is not utilised properly. The municipality was instructed to maintain the plant, but they failed to fulfill this responsibility,” President Ramaphosa stated. He also emphasised the need to refrain from awarding infrastructure tenders to unskilled individuals.

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President Ramaphosa further disclosed that the tender issued by the City of Tshwane for the repair and extension of the water works remained incomplete due to irregularities, leading to its cancellation. He expressed concern about the inadequate culture of infrastructure maintenance in the country.

To address the crisis, the government unveiled a series of interventions. These include the deployment of water tankers to provide immediate relief, constructing a new waterworks facility within six months, and the upgrading and expanding the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment plant at a cost of R4 billion. The Development Bank will collaborate with the Tshwane Municipality and the Department of Water and Sanitation to facilitate these initiatives.

President Ramaphosa assured the community that the City of Tshwane would continue supplying them with tanker water in the short term. He also announced the involvement of Magalies Water, who will construct new, smaller waterworks to expedite the provision of clean water within the next six months.

While addressing the community, President Ramaphosa apologised for the government’s failure to deliver clean and safe water, resulting in life loss. He expressed regret for not meeting their expectations and vowed to rectify the situation.

Additionally, the president urged residents to refrain from consuming unboiled water and emphasised the importance of boiling water for consumption purposes.

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Photo: Facebook / @Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG)