JOHANNESBURG – President Cyril Ramaphosa has attributed the government’s failure to provide clean running water to Hammanskraal residents partially to the City of Tshwane.
During his visit to the Rooiwal water treatment plant and the Hammanskraal community on Thursday, Ramaphosa received a technical briefing on the issues affecting the treatment plant, which has been the primary source of contaminated tap water in Hammanskraal.
Ramaphosa revealed that R60 million had been allocated to the City of Tshwane to address structural problems at the treatment plant.
However, in his address to the residents at the Temba Stadium in Hammanskraal, Ramaphosa expressed disappointment, stating that the city had only utilized R14 million of the allocated funds.
Acknowledging the government’s failure in fulfilling its constitutional obligation of providing clean water, Ramaphosa placed responsibility on the City of Tshwane for neglecting its duty to the residents.
He remarked, “It [City of Tshwane] has not been maintained up to the right standard for quite a long time, and the work was half done up to 68% before the tender had to be canceled.”
Recognizing the urgent need for action, Ramaphosa emphasized the necessity of an integrated approach involving all three levels of government to address the water challenges faced by the residents of Hammanskraal.
He assured that funding would be made available from various government departments, including the city, to revamp and expand the Rooiwal water treatment plant.
“Money will be made available from various departments of the government, including the city. The city will also make a contribution to ensure that we revamp and expand Rooiwal,” Ramaphosa stated.
However, the president cautioned that the refurbishment of the Rooiwal water treatment plant would be a time-consuming process, estimating that it would take at least three years to complete at a projected cost of R4 billion.
As the government addresses the critical water crisis in Hammanskraal, residents are hopeful that the actions promised by President Ramaphosa will lead to significant improvements in their access to clean, safe drinking water.
The collaboration between the three spheres of government signals a collective effort to rectify the long-standing issue and restore the right to basic services for the community.
