Bushbuckridge - Progress is being made in addressing the problems faced by residents of Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga, President Jacob Zuma said on Friday.
“While a lot has been done, there is still a long way to go as we improve the quality of life in Bushbuckridge and surroundings,” Zuma told residents at Thulamahashe Stadium.
During his visit to the area on Friday, he acknowledged problems of unemployment and service delivery, and a need to improve services for persons with disabilities, among others.
However, the main reason for Zuma's visit was to assess the water provision situation in the area and see what could be done to improve living conditions and service delivery. Zuma acknowledged that water was one of the keys to economic growth and development, and the Bushbuckridge area was a water scarce area with many residents depending on boreholes.
The vast majority of communities in the area - at least 70 percent - were without a bulk water supply, and at least two thirds did not have tap water or a viable water connection in their yards.
Giving feedback on his visit, Zuma said that while the water supply problem in the area was serious, progress was being made due to work being done by government through the expansion of infrastructure. Plans were in place to ensure water security for the area by 2023.
Referring to the National Development Plan's vision for the country, Zuma said that by 2030 “our country must enjoy water security and maintain a water supply system that is reliable and sustainable”. Work to improve water access included the Inyaka Dam, which had been completed at a cost of R1-billion.
The dam would provide a secure source of water for domestic, municipal, and industrial consumers in the Bushbuckridge area, and also ensure a stable water supply for irrigation purposes.
Zuma said work on the Hoxane Regional Water Scheme, which began this year, should be completed by June 2017. The scheme was expected to serve over 30,000 households in Bushbuckridge South and about 50 000 households in Nsikazi North, Mbombela.
He appealed to the community and broader society to use water wisely, saying there would be serious consequences for people illegally connecting to water and electricity supplies.
Government would continue to provide free basic services to the indigent, who were too poor to pay. He urged those who could afford it to pay for municipal services, as it enabled government to provide more infrastructures and services.
Zuma emphasised that residents needed to protect and look after infrastructure and installations provided to ensure the future viability of ongoing services in their communities.
ANA