Central SA
Municipality doubles efforts to eradicate sewage spillage challenges─── KEKELETSO MOSEBETSI 09:21 Thu, 19 Jan 2023
The Welkom-based Matjhabeng Local Municipality in the Free State has increased its efforts to speed up the process to eradicate sewage spillage challenges.
During the launch of phase 2 of the Virginia-based Meloding Multipurpose Sport Centre earlier this week, the Matjhabeng mayor, Thanduxolo Khalipha, said the intervention team will appoint contractors on 20 January 2023 and the construction is expected to resume on 25 January 2023.
Matjhabeng has recently been in the spotlight over service delivery issues. Pictures of community members in the area of Doornpan – collecting water from what seems like a small river or a dam – were recently circulated on social media platforms as residents were without water for almost two weeks due to a pipe burst.
ALSO READ: Matjhabeng residents use dam water
Khalipha said the municipality received R520 million from the national government to fix infrastructure, and the problem experienced with sewage spillage.
“To fix the treatment plant is not going to [take] twelve months, it can take us three years. The pump station [can be done within] a period of twelve months. And we are happy that the intervention is now going to be implemented. We are no longer talking about what is going to happen [in future], it is going to happen [now]. We want to thank Minister Senzo Mchunu and Bloem Water, they have been appointed as the implementing agency on behalf of the Minister of Water and Sanitation,” said Khalipha.
He further said that the national government also approved the infrastructure grant which is going to deal with roads, which amounts to R3 billion. Khalipha said all townships of Matjhabeng will be paved and roads will be fixed. He said this project will also create opportunities for the unemployed youth of Matjhabeng. He further added that 500 graduates will be trained as artisans for the next three years and will be getting a stipend of R3500.
“The Department of Environment and Fisheries are also going to support us. They're also going to appoint 100 people for job opportunities for the next two years. They are also going to get a stipend of R3500 to clean our environment. You can see as you come to Meloding, it's dirty. The municipal manager is already embarking on a programme of cleaning the city, cleaning our township. They have already started in Thabong, once they finish in Thabong they will come to Meloding,” concluded Khalipha.
