Day: March 19, 2023

Water and Sanitation Minister, Senzo Mchunu, recently undertook a two-day site inspection of the potable bulk water supply projects currently taking place in Jozini and Mhlabuyalingana local municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal.

During his visit to the area which fall under the uMkhanyakude District Municipality, the Minister assured local communities that water will be flowing in their household taps when the project is complete.

Accompanied by Deputy Minister Judith Tshabalala, the Minister visited the Greater Ingwavuma Bulk Water Supply project in Jozini Local Municipality, which is planned to double the capacity of the Jozini Water Treatment Works from 40 to 80 megalitres per day.

Upon completion, the project will supply fresh water to more than 25 000 families in Big 5 Hlabisa, Mtubatuba and Jozini local municipalities.

The Mtikini Water Supply Scheme in Umhlabuyalingana Municipality is also underway and it includes the laying of a 12km pipeline as well as upgrades to a 750 kilolitre elevated steel tank, which will supply safe drinking water to more than 4 000 families of Skhemelele, Mtikini and eScabazini.

Following the project site inspections, Minister Mchunu interacted with members of the community both in Jozini and Umhlabuyalingana Municipalities.

He assured them that the department is working closely with uMkhanyakude District Municipality to ensure that water is taken to the people’s households.

“There is a big dam in Jozini which is always full and it can supply 70% of uMkhanyakude with water. However, there has always been this old narrative that as much as there is water at the dam, the people living close to it do not have fresh water in their households.”

“We are working towards changing that narrative. There is work that is taking place and people in various wards in uMkhanyakude will start to have water flowing from their household taps,” Mchunu said.

uMkhanyakude District Municipality is currently under Section 63 of the Water Services Act which empowers the Minister to take over water and sanitation services when the Water Service Authority is unable to do so, with a purpose to restore supply and services.

Source: South African Government News Agency

Concerted efforts by the South African Police Services’ Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI) and Eskom have led to the arrest of a contractor employee at Eskom’s Matla Power Station on Friday.

The arrest is in connection with prior transgressions committed while the suspect was employed by Eskom in the capacity of senior buyer at Arnot Power Station in 2014.

The arrest follows allegations that the supplier was awarded an order for the supply of bowl pumps and received a down payment of R14.7 million upfront without goods being delivered.

Eskom had to place an urgent order for the material with another company, suffering financial loss as a consequence.

An internal Eskom investigation found that the employee facilitated the payment without authorisation and resigned soon thereafter. The investigation also found that the supplier in question, which is no longer operational, had no track record in dealing with Eskom nor had any previous orders.

Several misrepresentations and irregularities that appear to indicate that the employee’s involvement amounted to fraud and corruption were uncovered, subsequently, a criminal case was registered following the investigation.

“We are grateful to the DPCI that the long arm of the law finally caught up with the suspect three years later. The arrest of the employee having left the employ of Eskom is an encouraging step in our persistent efforts in the fight against fraud and corruption,” said Amos Phoshoko, Acting Senior Manager for Forensic and Anti-Corruption at Eskom.

“It will serve as deterrent to would be criminals who thought they could get away with crime by merely resigning from the organisation,” Phoshoko said.

The employee has been remanded in custody for a bail application on Wednesday.

Source: South African Government News Agency