Durban – KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala commenced with the launch of the province’s water master plan on Tuesday in Umzimkhulu, south-west of the Durban central business district, where he inspected a borehole at KwaSkeyi – a rural community in the Harry Gwala Municipality.
Zikalala was joined by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Sipho Hlomuka, Ugu District Mayor Sbu Ngcobo, Provincial House of Traditional Leaders chairperson Inkosi Phathisizwe Chiliza and KZN director-general Dr Nonhlanhla Mkhize.
Zikalala was seen drinking the water out of the borehole at KwaSkeyi.
KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala formally launched the KZN Water Master Plan and Borehole Intervention Programme in the Harry Gwala District.
— KZN Provincial Gov (@kzngov) September 28, 2021
The launch of the Water Master Plan aims to alleviate the shortage of water which is plaguing rural municipalities. #KZNWaterMasterPlan pic.twitter.com/9CxFAcqQBB
“As part of the medium-term measures, the province – through the department of Cogta – has built 250 boreholes across the six districts with the greatest challenges with water provision, namely uThukela, Zululand, uMzinyathi, Harry Gwala, uMkhanyakude and Amajuba,” the provincial government said on Tuesday.
The province’s master water plan aims to alleviate the shortage of water plaguing rural municipalities.
An average of 21.2% (around 570 963) of households across the province do not have infrastructure access to water, according to statistics presented in the water master plan.
The plan, which was announced at the start of the year, focuses on finishing the construction of new dams, maintenance and rehabilitation of ageing infrastructure and improved revenue collection.
It was presented earlier this year to the portfolio committee on local government as a work in progress.
The plan has two main objectives: to collate and present data on water infrastructure in a way that makes the data accessible to relevant stakeholders and to provide integrated data for management information and decision making.
It consists of three pillars, namely resource planning and bulk infrastructure, distribution planning and sustainability.
Proposed interventions in the master plan amount to over R150 billion over the next 10 to 15 years, according to Hlomuka.
“This water master plan will ultimately be implemented through translating the strategic action plans contained therein into our departmental work plans which provide the basis for our performance evaluation by those for whom universal access to water is now a realistic prospect – the residents of KZN,” the CoGTA MEC said.
Political Bureau