Mining company, Anglo Gold Ashanti has donated water tanks to taxi ranks in areas of Hammanskraal to help fight Covid-19 outbreak in the country. 

The three 1,000 litre tanks will be placed at three busy local taxi ranks and will be used by taxi commuters, queue marshals and taxi drivers.

The tanks were unveiled by Gauteng roads and transport MEC Jacob Mamabolo who was accompanied by City of Tshwane administrator Mpho Nawa, members of the National Taxi Alliance (NTA) and the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco), at Kopanong taxi rank situated along the R101 road on Tuesday..

Hammanskraal has a long-standing water problem as the CSIR has found that tap water was of poor quality for human consumption. Residents mainly rely on water delivered daily in water trucks. 

READ MORE: CSIR confirms water from Stinkwater area is contaminated

Last year, the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) also said that it found samples of E. coli bacteria in the Hammanskraal drinking water, which was disputed by the municipality.

However, OUTA’s latest independent water quality test results showed that the quality of drinking water in Hammanskraal has improved, with a clear indication of improved water treatment in most wards.

However the organisation is still concerned about the high dosage of monochloramine in one of the samples taken in Ward 74 but believe that this might have been a high dosage to flush the system in order to kill bacteria.

READ MORE: Significant improvement in Hammanskraal water, but more work needed

Rea Baitshenyetsi, AngloGold Ashanti’s CSI manager, said with the tanks were contributed in efforts to help fight against the spread of the coronavirus. 

Nawa said they as the city would ensure that the three tanks were filled up with water every single day to ensure that they don’t just stand empty without serving their purpose. 

He said the Hammanskraal water problem was the city’s number one priority area and they would soon announce steps to resolve the issue.