Operation Hydrate’s #WaterDrive campaign has been given a major boost with Water Affairs Minister Nomvula Mokonyane announcing that the National Lotto will be donating R50-million towards the humanitarian efforts.

Mokonyane said the donation from the Lottery Board would be used for bottled water‚ infrastructure and boreholes.

At the same time corporate South Africa‚ schools‚ NGO’s and individuals have been streaming into the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Houghton‚ Johannesburg‚ to deliver bottled water and cash‚ the operation’s organisers say.

The #WaterDrive is a partnership between the Nelson Mandela Foundation‚ Proudly SA and Operation Hydrate. It is supported by various organisations including Community Hours SA.

Operation Hydrate’s Yaseen Theba said the response to the #WaterDrive had been “amazing“.

“The pledge from the Lottery Board pushes us from a short term to a long term project. It has opened the door for more sustainable solutions‚” he said.

The leadership of Operation Hydrate also met Mokonyane and it was agreed to form a team between the organisation and her department to ensure growing the partnership and working together to provide water where it’s most needed.

Operation Hydrate’s Yusuf Abramjee said: “While the #WaterDrive is continuing‚ our teams are at work delivering water to drought-stricken areas.”

“What we are seeing at the Nelson Mandela Foundation is heartening and is line with making every day a Mandela Day‚” added Abramjee.

Operation Hydrate initially said it hoped to collect R10-million (worth of water) this weekend. Within minutes of the launch‚ the target was broken.

 Operation Hydrate then announced it wanted to raise R67-million worth of water by July 18 — Mandela Day. After the minister’s announcement‚ the target had increased to R95-million. Madiba passed away aged 95.