Gauteng sets aside R760m to fix water shortages, says Lesufi
· The South African
The Gauteng government has set aside R760 million to address the province’s water shortages, Premier Panyaza Lesufi announced during his State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Monday.
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The announcement comes amid ongoing shortages that have left Joburg residents without water for days, including in Soweto, Melville, Westdene and Midrand.
Lesufi said the investment in infrastructure would be implemented in phases. The first phase includes the construction of a ground reservoir, a tower in Brixton and an emergency boosting pipe section.
‘STORAGE FACILITIES ARE THE FUTURE’
The ground reservoir will launch on Saturday, while the Brixton tower will come online on Tuesday, providing immediate relief to affected residents.
The permanent solution will be implemented at the end of the year following the construction of a five-kilometre pipeline.
“Water storage facilities are the future, so that when we are hit by this kind of explosion, the water storage will continue to provide water in our province. For now, we are planning to have water storage that can at least carry us for almost seven days,” he said.
Lesufi attributed the province’s water crisis to ageing infrastructure, rather than water shortages.
He said the construction of a 20 million-litre storage facility in Midrand would ensure residents “don’t lose water again in their lifetime.”
‘NO SPECIAL PIPES’
The premier recently came under fire for comments he made about the ongoing water crisis and its impact in Johannesburg, after saying he had to shower at a hotel. He was addressing the media on 11 February following oversight visits to several critically low reservoirs in the city.
“I also had to shower at a hotel… there is no special pipes,” he said.
He has since apologised for the remarks.
“The Premier acknowledges that his statement in which he made reference to a hotel may have been interpreted in a manner that suggested that the impact of water challenges differ based on one’s position in society. This was never his intention,” read the apology.