Questions as to why one signature is holding up water supply to town

Date: 24 October 2014 By: Linda van der Westhuizen

The water supply situation in Makhado (Louis Trichardt) is still balanced on a knife’s edge.

Bursts on the aged Albasini pipeline could occur at any moment and would be hard to find as the pipeline is not being de-bushed as regularly as is necessary. The Vhembe District Municipality (VDM) also does not seem to be getting around to the drilling of the three boreholes near Mowkop reservoir, which is supposed to augment water supply to the town when pipe bursts and shut downs occur.

What is holding up the drilling of the boreholes?

“The District Municipality has sent a request to Komatiland, but we have not yet received a response from Komatiland so that we are given the permission to drill the boreholes, because the land belongs to them. Further follow ups will be made to Komatiland so that we are granted the permission in order to conclude our plan,” the VDM said in a media release. The catch is that this borehole project should have started on 4 October last year and should have been completed in April this year.

Komatiland Forests (KLF), however, is waiting for the VDM to supply one signature. “We are still in need of one signature on our route form as a sign off from KLF’s side. The underground power cable is currently roughly measured at 1.160km. All activities on KLF property need to be licensed according to Section 23 and 24 of the National Forest Act (Act no 84 of 1998). The responsible party will be licensed on right of way and a standard tariff is applicable per km. The license will be issued annually with a CPI (Consumer Price Index) increase on the amount. As soon as confirmation from the responsible party is received that they will be responsible for payment on this license we will continue with the process,” KLF wrote in an e-mail to the VDM on 13 October.

Civil rights organization AfriForum stepped in and informed Komatiland on 21 October that they will accept responsibility for the payment and requested the “route form” be forwarded to them so that the drilling of the boreholes can be started.

“I find the casual approach to this urgent matter by the VDM and their consultants, Muteo, quite alarming, and frankly it could have taken them a matter of minutes to comply with your simple request if they (Muteo and VDM) considered it even mildly important. It is inexplicable how VDM has managed to allow this whole process to drag on for almost a year now,” AfriForum Louis Trichardt chairperson Wally Schultz told Komatiland.

Vhembe, however, is satisfied with the progress on the water situation. “There is great progress regarding the supply of water within Makhado Town for the past three months. VDM has managed to employ security personnel at all the pumping stations,” the VDM stated and added that ten boreholes (west of town) had been electrified. “Eight are operational and two are still outstanding. Water in one of them seems to be contaminated while the other one was declared dry, but both will be tested and checked so that they can become operational. Currently there is a constant supply of water although the infrastructure is ageing and we always experience the bursting of pipelines and have to do the maintenance and other services on pumping machines,” said VDM media liaison officer, Mr Moses Shibambu.

Viewed: 502

Linda van der Westhuizen

Linda van der Westhuizen has been with Zoutnet since 2001. She has a heart for God, people and their stories. Linda believes that every person is unique and has a special story to tell. It follows logically that human interest stories is her speciality. Linda finds working with people and their leaders in the economic, educational, spiritual and political arena very rewarding. “I have a special interest in what God is doing in our town, province and nation and what He wants us to become,” says Linda.

More photos...