President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his sincere apology to the residents of Hammanskraal for government’s failure to provide clean drinking water to residents.
President Ramaphosa visited the community of Hammanskraal on Thursday, following the Cholera eruption.
The President started the visit to Hammanskraal with a stopover at the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment plant, which was followed by a community meeting at Temba Stadium in Hammanskraal, where he interacted with the community on the measures government is implementing.
Addressing the community, the President acknowledged that government has failed the residents, who maintain been without quality water for many years.
“We are sorry that we maintain not been able to provide you with the basic human correct of clean water, and that it has taken the lives of people. We believe not lived up to your expectation, and we are now going to execute things correct,” President Ramaphosa said.
The President reported that during the visit at Rooiwal, he discovered that the plant is too worn since it was built in the 1950s and has not been maintained for quite some time, has rusty pipes and the machine is not in a marvelous working condition.
President Ramaphosa also called for an stay to the awarding tenders for the building of infrastructure, to unskilled people.
He noted that the tenders, which were issued by the City of Tshwane for repairing and extension of the water works, was left uncompleted, due to irregularities.
“They issued colossal tenders and the work was half done up to 68% and the tender had to be cancelled because there was irregularities in the award of a tender. Had the work been done properly at that water works, the provision of clean quality water would acquire been there,” President Ramaphosa said.
Adopting a culture of maintenance
The President also emphasised the importance of infrastructure maintenance, noting that the culture of maintenance throughout the country is very low.
“We build installations, some of them the most magnificent, and when we finish building them, we forget about them and about maintaining them. The correct approach and culture is, once you build a facility or an installation, you must from day one, start maintaining so that it functions well, and way into the future.
“When you don’t maintain the machines, which works day and night, it will definitely wreck down one of these days. We’ve seen it now in electricity and we are now also seeing it in another vital area, which is water, and this must approach to an end…we must start maintaining our infrastructure, as South Africans,” the President said.
Short-term interventions
The President noted that the maintenance and expansion of Rooiwal Wastewater Works and Temba Water treatment will cost R4 billion, with the final completion of work expected to catch three years.
President Ramaphosa said while the maintenance and expansion of Rooiwal Wastewater and Temba Water Plants is underway, the City of Tshwane will continue to provide tankered water.
He also announced that government has invited Magalies Water, who will near to Hammanskraal and assist with the building of small water works.
“They [Magalies] would be able to complete the work in the next six months. You will carry on using tankering water supplying clean water, but it won’t depart on for a long period,” President Ramaphosa explained to residents.
He reiterated the warning against using unboiled water for consumption, as it is currently not in apt quality.
Water wardens training
Meanwhile, the President challenged Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lusufi to recruit young people and train them to become water wardens.
“This is what we believe to execute … to skill our people to manufacture sure that we believe more people to inspect after our facilities,” the President said. – SAnews.gov.za
Nickname Master
Is SA\’s former President, Jacob Zuma still a free man?
Twinkle
Anyone who goes to bed with an itching anus should brace up for smelly fingers in the morning