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The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr Fikile Xasa, has called upon government departments of Cooperative Governance and of Water and Sanitation to maintain and strengthen their support to Makana Local Municipality to ensure the sustainable provision of quality, clean drinking water to the people of Makana.
 
Mr Xasa said the committee welcomes the commitments made by the municipality, the Amatola Water Board and the Department of Water and Sanitation to meet the project timeframes, as well as the assurance they made to the committee about the delivery of water to the people. Ten years is a very long time since the James Kleynhans water treatment works project started, he said.
 
The committee met today with the Mayor of the Makana Local Municipality, the Chairperson of the Amatola Water Board and the Deputy Minister of the Department of Water and Sanitation to discuss the progress achieved in providing water to the Makana Local Municipality.
 
The committee visited Makana last year on an oversight visit during which it met with all stakeholders and visited the James Kleynhans and other water treatment plants. During today’s engagements, the committee told the municipality and government departments that “service delayed is service denied”. The committee also demanded answers on a range of questions, including one about the whereabouts of the report on the Special Investigation Unit into the bulk water treatment project.
 
The committee is still waiting to see this report on the investigation into the suspected corruption on the project. Furthermore, the committee told the Mayor and government departments that the delivery of clean and quality water to the people of Makana is more urgent now than ever before, given the threat of cholera and other diseases that are caused by people drinking contaminated water.
 
The committee also highlighted that contractors are not subjected to any consequences for poor delivery, hence they continue to disappear before the project is completed. The committee demanded that payments made to these errant contractors be recovered. The committee also highlighted the muncipality’s reliance on contracting the services of outside technicians.
 
The Department of Water and Sanitation assured the committee that the municipality, the Amatola Water Board and the department will work together to complete the project. Mr Xasa responded by assuring them that the committee will continue to monitor the commitments they have made to ensure the sustainable, daily supply of water to the people of Makana.

Issued by The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Fikile Xasa