OR Tambo declared a disaster area while Mthatha cleans up

OR Tambo District Municipality Executive Mayor Ms Zoleka Capa has welcomed the announcement by national government that the six District Municipalities in the Eastern Cape are to be declared disaster areas due to ailing water and sewerage infrastructure.

Responding to the announcement by national Water Affairs and Environment Minister Buyelwa Sonjica on 28 July 2009, Mayor Capa said the best solution to resolving the crisis was for all levels of government to work together with the people for the common good.

Declaring the OR Tambo District a disaster area would unlock precious revenue from the national fiscus, the Mayor said.

“As a former Homeland, this area has never been adequately resourced. Now is the time to address the backlog.”

MAJOR efforts are underway to clean up Mthatha. The city and surrounding areas have been plagued by water and sanitation problems, but national and local government officials are hard at work to alleviate the crisis.

Defence Minister Lindiwe Sisulu led 350 soldiers during a clean-up campaign of the streets of Mthatha on Wednesday. She was accompanied by her deputy, Thabang Makwetla and the chief of the South African Army, Lieutenant General Solly Shoke.

The OR Tambo District Municipality (ORTDM) is implementing various strategies to deal with water shortages and sewerage spills.

A multi-million rand upgrade project is underway at the main water treatment plant in Mthatha. The first phase includes the installation of two new water pumps and three generators to increase the plant’s water pumping capabilities and help it to cope in the event of a power outage.

In addition, teams of municipal workers are implementing an action plan over a two week period until the end of July to attend to 35 sites where water and sanitation problems have been experienced.

The teams are attending to 15 water-related complaints and 20 sewerage spills.

The municipality has also delivered and installed 5 000 litre water tanks in 16 areas worst affected by the water outages. 
ORTDM councillor for infrastructure, Solly Nduku, said: “I’m satisfied that we’re doing our utmost best to alleviate the situation to help the people of Mthatha. We’re on the right track with all our plans of refurbishing and upgrading the water and sewerage systems being implemented.”