The Eastern Cape government has granted Makana Municipality a much-welcomed R75 million rescue package – administered through the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) – to help solve the City's long-standing water and sanitation crisis.
The Eastern Cape government has granted Makana Municipality a much-welcomed R75 million rescue package – administered through the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC) – to help solve the City's long-standing water and sanitation crisis.
But a further R225m may be necessary over the next five years.
At a special Council meeting on Monday, Makana Executive Mayor Zamuxolo Peter appealed to Makana's directors to account for "every cent" of the R75m grant. The mayor said the grant had been ring-fenced for water and sanitation infrastructure and must be spent or committed to urgent projects before the end of the current financial year in June.
The meeting was attended by ECDC's Executive Manager for Social Infrastructure, Graham Cowley, who is heading the ECDC intervention to help Makana solve its infrastructural woes.
Cowley said the Social Infrastructure section set up at ECDC last December has been mandated by the Provincial Treasury and the Premier's Office to assist district and local municipalities in not only making sure that the infrastructure is functional, but also to set up proper maintenance plans.
"The plan is not only about the injection of funds but also to educate the staff to have maintenance plans," said Cowley.
Cowley, who has been working with local and district municipalities for 40 years, said the ECDC would work hand in hand with the Amatola Water Board, who last October signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Makana Municipality to monitor and manage the water crisis in Makana.
He indicated that Amatola Water had said just under R300m was needed for a five year plan to fix the water infrastructure in Makana, implying that a further R225 million would have to be found.
Meanwhile, Cowley said Premier Noxolo Kiviet, the MEC for Provincial Treasury Pumulo Masualle and ECDC CEO Sitembele Mase had all identified Makana as a priority in the Cacadu region.
"Water is life and sanitation is dignity – that is our belief," he said.
Linked to this is the importance of encouraging emerging contractors in Makana to enter the market. "We want to make sure that opportunities for internships and other training opportunities are open here," Cowley said. "And once locals have these skills, they should be encouraged to stay and work in the area," he added.
