The Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu leads efforts to intervene in the challenges facing the municipalities in Gauteng, particularly the much-publicised troublesome area of Hammanskraal North of Tshwane.

The Water Services Authorities political leadership as well as other relevant stakeholders continue with their engagement, which is aimed at assessing the state of water and sanitation, also the challenges faced by water sector n the province.

To this end, the Minister has met with the Provincial Government led by Premier David Makhura, Department of Water and Sanitation management in Gauteng, Rand Water and Magalies Water Board on the 5th of October.

The minister has also met with Water Services Authorities including Executive Mayors of Tshwane, Johannesburg, and Ekurhuleni Metros, and both Executive Mayors of Sedibeng and West Rand District Municipalities. Minister Mchunu insists that local government is held accountable to local communities.

He further stressed that in doing so, municipalities must structure their administration, budgeting and planning in a manner that gives priority to the basic needs of the community and promotes the social and economic development of people.

Minister Mchunu also expressed dissatisfaction with the progress made in resolving the prolonged issues of both Temba Water Treatment Works and Rooiwal Waste Water Treatment Plant which continues to impact negatively on the delivery of safe drinking water in the area.

“The South African Human Rights Commission has been on our case for some time now regarding the contaminated water in Hammanskraal, this matter needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency”, Minister Mchunu stated.

The City of Tshwane Metro Executive Mayor, Councillor Randal Williams said the treatment plant mentioned by the Minister is overloaded both hydrologically and organically and are therefore struggling to cope with the sewage that flows into it.

“Contractors are on-site in an endeavour to address the situation and resolve the challenges in Hammanskraal. R3 billion rands will be required over the next four years to double the capacity of both plants”, Councillor Randalls said.

As a parting shot Minister Mchunu indicated that constant water interruptions particularly in Tshwane amount to a crisis as some communities have been without water for a period of seven days.