The Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Lindiwe Sisulu pledged an amount of R143 million towards drought relief in Moutse near Groblersdal in Limpopo.

Sisiulu visited the area on Friday, where she was accompanied by Limpopo Premier Phuku Stanley Mathabatha and CoGHSTA MEC Basikopo Makamu, Executive Mayor of Sekhukhune District Municipality, Cllr Stanley Ramaila, together with Lepelle Northern Water Board.

The funds will be administered by Lepelle Northern Water as the implementing agent, to address the long-standing challenges of water within the Sekhukhune District Municipality.

They will also be used to drill new boreholes and refurbish the existing ones in the area.

Five water tankers and 20 water tanks were donated and will be administered by the Sekhukhune District Municipality. Minister

Sisulu assured the community of Moutse that there will be additional water tanks to ensure that all the residents have water, prioritizing the elderly, the schools, the police station, and the Philadelphia Hospital that serves the community.

She emphasised that these will be interim measures while the Municipality works with Lepelle Northern Water Board, the province, and the DWS Limpopo office to initiate projects of sustainable water reticulation in the area.

Residents of Sekhukhune District Municipality, particularly of Moutse have been without water for a long time.

Minister Sisulu and Premier Mathabatha interacted with the community of Moutse and stakeholders, assuring them that the process to address water challenges in the area has started.