Story by Zanele Masuku
PLUMTREE – PLUMTREE Town Council is struggling to supply water to residents in uphill suburbs, owing to a collapsed sedimentation tank from their supply treatment plant.
Commissioned in 1972, the Plumtree Water Treatment Plant has been overwhelmed by the growth of the border town, which now has 24 official suburbs.
Aging infrastructure will, however, see residents endure a long water shedding programme.
An interface between the Plumtree stakeholders and Matabeleland South Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Albert Nguluvhe this Monday, saw Plumtree Town Council Chairperson, Alderman Similo Ndlovu admitting that the local authority has water challenges and a new billing system.
“The minister’s visit is an opportunity for us to discuss our challenges directly with him. One of our main concerns is the water supply, particularly the collapse of our sedimentation tank. Although water tests indicate it is clean, the tank’s condition has raised public concerns and is impacting our ability to store treated water, forcing us to rush distribution. This is a significant challenge we are facing,” Ndlovu said.
Minister Ngulube, who is on the second leg of a familiarisation tour of local authorities after a similar engagement in Matobo District said government expects residents to access proper service delivery.
“I called chiefs and government officials to gather insights into the challenges faced by the people. As the President has directed us to ensure no one is left behind, we are taking steps to achieve this goal. Our aim is to gather first-hand information from those directly involved and provide guidance where necessary,” Honourable Ngulube said.
“Specifically, we seek to understand the challenges councils face in implementing government policies on infrastructure development and delivering services to the people. We need to identify why these issues persist and find solutions. After hearing their concerns, we will then deliberate and devise a way forward.”
The government has launched a no compromise policy on service delivery expected to be implemented by Ministers of State for the attainment of Vision 2030.
