Image: Trevor Samson
Drought-stricken municipalities in the Eastern Cape breathed a sigh of relief on Friday morning when human settlements, water and sanitation minister Lindiwe Sisulu handed over 20 water trucks to the Amatola Water board.
The trucks, worth more than R30m, will serve a number of municipalities, including the Makana municipality, which has recently implemented water restrictions after a mechanical failure at the James Kleynhans water treatment works which supplies the east side of the city, leaving residents without water for three weeks. Eastern Cape premier Oscar Mabuyane has been urged to declare a provincial drought disaster.
The call coincides with new evidence from the Gamtoos Irrigation Board that farmers reliant on the Kouga Dam which is at 6.4% capacity are facing a catastrophe.
Sanitiser to start with. Siyabonga Rungqu. Sinoxolo Hale. Gcobisa Dumeko, Sercretary of SYDP and MC of the Love Day event. Photo: Luthando Mpofu Councillor Thembisa Gaushe. Sophumelela Ketelo,
Word and photos by LUTHANDO MPOFU
On 26 February 2021 Sophumulela Youth Development Programme (SYDP) hosted its annual Love Day event. The event is meant for learners to show love to each other while addressing the stigma some boys have about menstruation.
The organisation, through the public’s generous donations of sanitary towels, roll-on deodorants and soaps was able to also add black shoe polish for boys this year.
Grade 12 learners from Khutliso Daniels, TEM Mrwetyana and Nathaniel Nyaluza left with packages on Friday.
Makana launches key upgrade projects grocotts.co.za - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from grocotts.co.za Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
As Makhanda entered its sixth day without water on Tuesday, 22 February, the lines at the Gift of the Givers water truck snaked along streets in Makhanda as desperate mothers and grandmothers brought buckets, milk pails and any plastic containers they could find to get some water.
After a series of smaller failures throughout January, the James Kleynhans Water Treatment works pump station in Makhanda failed after its power station was flooded when a gasket blew.
“Our team tried by all means to save the situation, but unfortunately could not win,” the municipality’s statement read.
The town has struggled with continuous water outages since the beginning of January as problems cropped up at both the James Kleynhans and the Waainek water treatment works.
Residents queue for waster in Nompondo Street on Sunday 21 February 2021. Photos: Sue Maclennan Gift of the Givers steps in again
“I had 120 messages and 75 calls yesterday – really, my phone was going non-stop.”
Gift of the Givers’ Pamela Kaptein is used to getting calls from desperate residents at all hours.
“But this was just crazy,” she told GMDirect as she organised a queueing system at a Gift of the Givers water truck that had just arrived on a street corner near the Extension 9 hall. “I can’t blame them though, people were just desperate.”
Pamela Kaptein at the Gift of the Givers water delivery point in Extension 9 on Sunday 21 February. Her phone had been going non-stop. Photo: Sue Maclennan