The water and sanitation problems in the communities under the auspices of the Vhembe District Municipality (VDM) will hopefully be getting the necessary attention following the recent launch of Vhembe District Water and Sanitation Community Forum.
The launch, which took place at the Thohoyandou Indoor Sports Centre, was in response to a call made by the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Ms Nomvula Mokonyane, that municipalities should establish forums to address growing water and sanitation challenges that communities may be faced with.
The executive mayor of the VDM, Cllr Florence Radzilani said the forum will assist in detecting water leaks and report malfunctioning boreholes, sewer spillages, illegal water connections, theft and vandalism of municipal infrastructure. "The forums will provide platforms for people to articulate their grievances on water delivery. It will also be largely community driven and they will empower aggrieved residents to have a say on the management of water issues. It will further assist with campaigns to educate communities about saving water and changing daily habits to make sure that water is preserved and conserved," she said.
She further said the forum will also work with projects steering committees on newly implemented projects and share information about the status of projects. "If a project does not work, both the municipality and community will know before a contractor is even paid so that we can correct the situation instead of leaving it to be a burden and white elephant."
According to Radzilani the forum will also be their water champions in terms of helping to improve service standards and the turn-around time in addressing the plight of people, putting an end to the theft of transformers, illegal connections and other challenges.