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At last, villagers will get clean water

Alex Matlala

Alex Matlala

Travelling long distances to fetch water in rivers and fountains will soon be a thing of the past for residents of Nkambako and N'wamitwa in Tzaneen.

This after a small purification plant to supply water to more than 26000 people of the Vatsonga tribe was completed on Monday.

The plant, which pumps only six mega litres a day for the entire community, was revamped at a cost of R30million to pump 12mega litres a day.

The plant supplies water from the local dam to the villagers who depended on river water, which was also used by wild animals.

Mopani municipality technical services director Ngwako Ramathoka said the residents would have access to clean drinking water before the end of the month.

"We are busy connecting pipes to every street in the village so that our people can get water on their doorsteps," Ramathoka said.

"The connection is 95 percent complete and we hope that by the end of October everyone will have clean running water for everyday use."

Ramathoka said the region was on track with the national call that all residents have clean running water for their household needs by 2010.

"We have a population of about 500 000 people with 265 288 households.

"About 67 percent of the households have access to piped water with a radial distance of less than 200m from their properties.

"The district is fighting tooth and nail to address the remaining 33 percent between this year and the next financial year," he said.

Limpopo Premier Sello Moloto said water supply was at the top of the provincial government's priority list this financial year.

He said recently that the province had prioritised the construction of dams, mostly in far-flung areas of the province.

He said programmes were under way to build a big dam in N'wamitwa, which will supply water to most of the areas, including villages, around the Kruger National Park and Bolobedu.

"Between 2004 and this financial year the province has built five dams," Moloto said.

"Others are still under construction.

"The construction of the De Hoop Dam, which will supply water to the Sekhukhune and Capricorn regions, has begun.

"The 1,5m rising of Flag Boshielo Dam and the construction of the Nandoni and Mokolo dams in Waterberg were completed in 2006 and 2007, respectively."

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