Dear Editor,
There is a situation in Kwakwani that is becoming increasingly overbearing and needs to be addressed as early as possible. Section after section of the community would be without water for days and the duration is increasing. The most recent was five days. While one section was without water, the pressure in another section was bursting pipes.
It is quite clear that the exercise of the Minister of Housing and Water a few years ago was nothing but a show. I was officially invited to a ceremony where a contract was signed to the amount of $80 Million to improve the water distribution system. This was years after $23 Million was already spent to do the same thing under the Poverty Reduction Strategy Programme (PRSP). A total of $103 Million on one project where the only beneficiary seems to have been the contractors.
The objective of all of the contracts was to replace the corroded galvanized, cast iron and asbestos pipelines that are in the old network that is still being used by the community.
Why after all of these years and so much money spent the community is still using water that flows through the above mentioned pipe network?
As a concerned resident who participated in the PRSP consultations and regional review sessions and the public show by the Minister to sign the $80M contract, and as one who is always willing to give a helping hand to fix whatever problem may arise, I am not prepared to remain quiet.
Our community needs to be given the necessary schematic for the new network of pipelines and a programme needs to be put in place to phase out the old network by setting a timeline for residents to make a connection to the new network. With a new pipe network already in place it should not take a month for the old network to be phased out.
Editor, the old network has outlived its usefulness and it is sad that everyone in authority knows this but makes no genuine effort to have this corrected.
Yours faithfully,
Jocelyn Morian
