This comes after the launch of three multi-million rand water projects at Nomkholokotho Village in Mt Frere and at Fobane Village and Tholamela village in Matatiele, all costing R80 million.
The three huge water projects will provide water for about 20 villages and more than 25 000 people.

The water project at Nomkholokotho village is valued at R13.6 million and will provide water to three villages and 4488 people, while the project at Fobane village is valued at R65million and will provide water to 13 villages and 18726 people.

The project in Tholamela Water Supply project will provide water to about 3000 people and costs the district municipality more than R2.1 million.

The three water schemes will create more than 6500 employment opportunities for locals and constructors have already commence in the beginning of February in order to complete the construction in June.

The contractors showed interest to uplift the local economic development by appointing local contractors.

The Water project funded through the District municipality’s Municipal Infrastructure Grant.

A Fobane rural resident, Mamotshidisi Mphomela, said they currently fetch dirty water from rivers and streams with donkeys, but now their lives will change for the better.

“Our area has been neglected for a long time by previous governments. Now, for the first time, the people can see meaningful development in their lives because of our district Municipality,” she said.

Mphomela said they were now really able to see themselves as South Africans.  “We have been fetching dirty water for many years and we are appreciating what Alfred Nzo District Municipality has done for us,” said Mphomela. 

 Now she hopes that the municipality will attempt to provide them with electricity as the villages have no power.�
Gcinikhaya Mpumza, Alfred Nzo District Municipality Mayor, said the Municipality is committed to fulfilling its mandate to improve the lives of the people of Alfred Nzo by providing clean water and job opportunities. 

“We are at the half to complete water back lock and we have only few wards which have no clean water and we are saying come 2012 no village will have no water,” the Mayor said confidently. He said they are committed to improve water services and he believed that people’s lives will change for the better.
Owen Ngubende Hlazo of Infrastructure Development and Municipal Services said the schemes will provide about 11 litres per second which will cover all communities in the affected areas.

He added they will have project managers that will monitor the schemes to ensure the quality of the project.

Earlier this year, President Jacob Zuma told communities that “Being born in a rural area or the countryside should not condemn people to a life of poverty and underdevelopment,” says.

“Our vision for the development of rural areas arises from the fact that people in the rural areas also have a right to basic necessities.

“They have a right to electricity, water, flush toilets, roads, entertainment and sport centres. They have a right to shopping centres, good schools and other amenities like their compatriots in urban areas,” said the President.

During the 2008/2009 financial year over R120 million was spent by ANDM in water and Sanitation infrastructure.

Some of those projects were the Hlane water supply at a cost of R8.3 million and the R21 million; Mvenyane Water Supply projects.

All these projects have contributed immensely in the economy of the ANDM and resulted in many jobs being created.

Currently the District Municipality is spending more than R12 million in the Cedarville Sewer Upgrade.

Work in the project is almost at 50 percent done.

Rural people should not be condemned to poverty

The Alfred Nzo District Municipality is expected to spend more the R187 million in constructing water and sanitation infrastructure in the current financial year.

Of the amount allocated expenditure is an R 50 782 441 which was not spent in the 2008/2009 financial year.

The following Projects have been approved by DWEA and are awaiting ANDM to appoint contractors the Nomkholokotho Water Supply, Cedarville Sewer Upgrade and Ntibane Water Supply.

The Mount Ayliff Peri-Urban upgrade sanitation, Mount Frere Peri Urban sanitation, Matatiele Water Supply and Cabazi Water Supply projects are awaiting consultants to be appointed so that they could compile a technical report and for further monitoring.