Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister, David Mahlobo has urged Kgabo Park residents in Moletji, outside Polokwane in Limpopo to play their part in safeguarding water and sanitation infrastructure, which is meant to benefit them.
“As a department, we are worried about the vandalism occurring currently to the water and sanitation infrastructure, and we appeal to you as a community to look after it as it belongs to you,” Mahlobo said.
The Deputy Minister made this call during the recent official launch and handover ceremony of three solar-powered boreholes in the area.
The handing over of the boreholes came through a private public partnership between Coca-Cola Beverages of South Africa (CCBSA) and the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), dubbed Cokeville Project.
The project was initiated by Coca-Cola, as a direct response to the water shortages in the country, particularly distressed rural communities.
This innovative, solar-powered groundwater harvesting system, is aimed at addressing water shortages in the country and seeks to provide water access to distressed rural communities.
The newly launched project has a total capacity to pump, treat, store, and distribute 30 mega litres of clean water per year and will benefit over 200 000 households in both Ga-Ramoshwane and Kgabo Park villages.
Mahlobo thanked Coca-Cola for their partnership, noting that water is a matter of life and death.
“We are aware that this intervention is not going to resolve all our water related challenges, but it will assist a big deal. South Africa is a water-scarce country with water shortages being experienced in many parts of the country and more so in Limpopo.
“Both DWS and CCBSA consider reliable access to good, safe water as essential to life, nature, and the health of our communities, hence it is important to support local water access projects that help bring safe, clean drinking water to communities in need,” Mahlobo said..
A total of 100 water wheelers were also donated to 100 identified households, to help them when fetching water from the boreholes to their homes.
Source: South African Government News Agency