Day: April 21, 2023

Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu, together with his Deputy Judith Tshabalala, on Thursday officially commissioned and handed over the completed Spring Grove Water Treatment Plant in Rosetta and Bruntville Reservoir in Mooi River, to Umgeni Water in KwaZulu-Natal.

The afore-mentioned water and sanitation infrastructure forms part of the Greater Mpofana Bulk Water Supply Scheme which is one of the largest rural-based projects to be implemented in recent years aimed at providing access to safe drinking water.

The scheme which has cost R 1.5 billion since 2012 is funded by the Department of Water and Sanitation and Umgeni Water-Amanzi and it is implemented in two phases.

The components of the Mpofana Bulk Water Supply Scheme consists of a 20 megalitres-a-day Rosetta-Spring Grove Water Treatment Works, 8km long Nottingham Road Pipeline, 13.2km long Bruntville Pipeline and 12 megalitres Bruntville, 5 megalitres Nottingham Road and 1 megalitre Rosetta Reservoirs.

Through the project, water will be sourced from the Spring Grove Dam located in Rosetta. Afterwards the water will be treated at the newly opened Rosetta-Spring Grove Water Treatment Plant and transferred to the reservoirs.

The water will eventually be supplied to areas such as Lions River, Belgian, Mount West, Vaaleskop, Bruntville, Nottingham Road and Rosetta located in the Mpofana and uMngeni Local Municipalities.

In the end, the project will benefit approximately 130 000 members of the community and as a cherry on top, it will also bring social and economic benefits to the district through reliable water supply.

Speaking at the ribbon-cutting ceremony as a mark of officially opening the infrastructures, Minister Mchunu assured the attendees that the Department and other stakeholders are hellbent on closing the chapter of non-availability of water.

The Minister further urged the Water Services Authority, uMgungundlovu District, to commence the reticulation process in earnest.

“The rights to water and basic sanitation are entrenched in our Constitution, and whilst we have not fully realised it, we are hard at work. uMgungundlovu is a Water Services Authority and also a Water Service Provider and as such, it needs to ensure that it delivers on its mandate,” Mchunu said.

Subsequent to the opening of the infrastructure, Minister Mchunu and Deputy Minister Tshabalala embarked on a community engagement with members of Mpofana communities.

The event was also attended by Mpofana Local Municipality Mayor, Councillor Thembi Magubane and uMgungundlovu District Municipality Mayor, Councillor Muziwokuthula Zuma as well as local traditional leaders.

Traditional leaders expressed sincere gratitude to Minister Mchunu and other stakeholders for working together tirelessly in order to improve their livelihood through the provision of adequate and safe drinking water.

Minister Mchunu acknowledged that for the longest time rural communities and farm dwellers have been let down in as far as water provision is concerned but promised to change the situation by ensuring that by 2030, majority of them have access to clean water.

“We are very delighted to have officially completed such a huge reservoir and a water treatment plant. We all have a role to play to ensure that these infrastructures are protected, let us refrain from vandalizing infrastructures that are meant to benefit us,” Mchunu said.

“We are accelerating change as we strive to improve the lives of South Africans by providing them with basic water and sanitation services,” the Minister said.

Mchunu further called on the provincial and local KZN Government to join the department in ensuring that the residents within the uMgungundlovu District and the province as a whole, whether in townships or rural areas, are provided with clean, drinking piped water.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Police Minister, General Bheki Cele, will on Friday visit the crime scene of a mass shooting that has claimed the lives of 10 family members in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal.

According to initial police reports, unknown gunmen stormed a Pietermaritzburg homestead and ambushed the family. Seven women and three men were fatally wounded during the shooting.

The top management of the South African Police Service (SAPS) led by National Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, will accompany the Minister.

Police are investigating the mass shooting.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Members of the Muslim community have been urged to continue living righteous lives even after the Ramadan for continual blessings from Allah. Ustaz Zulkifli Abdul-Waahid, the Western Regional Chief Imam said the same spirit of meekness, piety and righteousness exhibited during the fasting season that made them comparable to angels must be strengthened for individual and Community growth. The Chief Imam gave the advice to the Muslim community when MTN presented bags of rice, packs of drinks, call credits, water, and a ram to the leadership of the Muslim community to augment their preparatory activities as they brought Ramadan to a close. Ustaz Abdul-Waahid expressed gratitude for the continual benevolence shown over the years by the Mobile Telecommunication giant to the religious sect. Mr David Woase , the Acting Senior Manager of the South-West Business Enclave of MTN said the gesture was necessary to remind the Muslim community of their brotherliness…’we have always deemed it fit to strengthen this family tie annually.’ He paid tribute to the memories of the two immediate passed Imams who had exited the earthly space into eternity and asked that Allah gave them a peaceful rest. Mr Woase, reminded them of the various programmes to better and brighten the lives of people in the MTN family, including scholarship and the need for them to take advantage as members of the MTN fraternity.

Source: Ghana News Agency