WATER issues dominated the agenda this week as the uThungulu District Municipality (UDM) leadership shared its Integrated Development Plan goals at a select business road show.
With ambitious strategies to eliminate a massive water and sanitation backlog, the District has identified numerous projects that will realise this goal.
uMhlathuze is the only one of the six municipalities under the UDM’s jurisdiction that does not have a serious backlog.
Mbonambi (34%; 40%), Ntambanana (42%; 3%), uMlalazi (48%; 52%), Mthonjaneni (30%; 4%) and Nkandla (32%; 29%) suffer significant water and sanitation backlogs respectively, exacerbated by the current drought conditions.
UDM Mayor, Cllr Thembeka Mchunu presented to participants, who included the ZCCI,RBIDZ and various government departments, bold – and costly – plans to resolve the shortcomings.
‘Capital funding required is massive: R3.5-billion for a rural water scheme, R262-million for rural sanitation and R262-million for urban sanitation.
‘We look to the private sector to assist us to meet the funding requirements,’ said Mchunu.
‘Drilling of boreholes and repair of non-operational hand pumps has become a top priority to offset the costly deployment of water tankers.
‘Replacement of the ageing asbestos water pipes in Eshowe and Mthonjaneni, which continually break and affect businesses, and changes from using honeysuckers to water-borne sewage are also urgencies.’
Skills database
Municipal Manager Mandla Nkosi spoke on the key economic opportunities available in the region and the need for business and government to integrate their thinking for the growth of the local economy.
RBIDZ Executive Manager: Zone Development and Operations, Joe Muller presented some of the major projects being undertaken by the IDZ in this financial year, and ZCCI Exco member Mike Patterson discussed the support provided by the Chamber of Business to emerging businesses and SMME’s.
Other issues included the need for coordination of a skills database that could be provided to potential investors doing feasibility studies.
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