Minister Mchunu to conduct oversight visit on the refurbishment and upgrading of water supply schemes in KwaHlabisa and Mtubatuba, in uMkhanyakude District

Following the Water Services Act’ Section 63 intervention in the uMkhanyakude District, the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu together with Deputy Minister David Mahlobo and Deputy Minister Judith Tshabalala, will embark on a ministerial visit to the northern KwaZulu-Natal district, to conduct an oversight visit on the refurbishment and upgrading of water supply schemes in kwaHlabisa and Mtubatuba Local Municipalities on the 11 and 12 May 2023 respectively.

Minister Mchunu, in February last year invoked Section 63 of the Water Services Act, 108 of 1997, to intervene on the water challenges that were being experienced by the district municipality, and appointed Mhlathuze Water as an Implementing Agent, to take over the management, operations and maintenance of the water and sanitation infrastructure in order to restore the services within the district. The District Municipality is comprised of five local municipalities, namely: The Big Five False Bay, Hlabisa, Mtubatuba, Jozini and Mhlabuyalingana local municipalities.

The Ministerial visit seeks to assess the district’s state of water supply schemes that are currently being refurbished to alleviate water challenges in the areas.

The Ministerial delegation will also host meetings with the executives of Mhlathuze Water, uMkhanyakude district together with The Big 5, Hlabisa and Mtubatuba local municipalities, uMkhanyakude district Water User Associations and the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial House of Traditional Leaders, and also hold engagements with the communities of kwaHlabisa and Mtubatuba to provide an update and plans for the water supply project.

Source: Government of South Africa