WATER and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu is not a happy man.
Mchunu was unimpressed by the water problems in the municipalities of Bushbuckridge and Thaba-Chweu in Mpumalanga.
On Friday, 12 Janaury, the minister, together with his deputy David Mahlobo, spoke to small-scale farmers and residents in Thulamahashe near Bushbuckridge.
The residents asked Mchunu and Mahlobo to help them with water supply.
They told the minister that they have been living without water and in poor condition for almost five years and can only survive on rainwater.
The disgruntled farmers said they cannot grow cabbages, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, peanuts, tomatoes, mielies, butternut and spinach because the irrigation canals have been dilapidated for a long time and the water cannot be collected in the New Forest and Dingleydale irrigation systems.
However, Bushbuckridge Mayor Sylvia Nxumalo explained that the Inyaka Dam main water line for the entire area has been damaged by illegal connections, causing water shortages and weakening the pressurised pump.
"We have declared war on illegal connections that cause water losses. But I can confirm that we have already started implementing the municipal by-laws to restore the water.
"A lot of water is wasted because the guest houses and car washes are mushrooming. They use a lot of water for swimming pools and car washes. We have also learnt that backyard farmers have been tempering with the Inyaka Dam water line," she said.
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Addressing the residents, Mchunu said: "Thirty years of democracy but people are without water. This cannot be and is absolutely unacceptable. We agreed that it doesn't matter whether there is water supply or not. The challenges here require us to come down. Yesterday we were in the Thaba-Chweu Municipality,and got a better picture of the challenges. Water is the right of all citizens and also life. We are not impressed with the water quality, and we take it very seriously.
He said that everyone has the right to have access to water, in any country in the world.
Mchunu encouraged the municipalities to support the United Nations and work hard to ensure that a lot is done in Mzansi to fulfil the obligation and meet the need.
He said they are looking at the Sand River and Loskop Dam project and prioritising water supply to the communities in need.
