Municipal Infrastructure and Planning Committee visits projects

By Joshua Motsomane

 

THABAZIMBI – The Infrastructure, Planning and Economic Development chairperson, Cllr T Mkansi led the committee to various projects within Thabazimbi Municipality.

During the projects visit, Mr Gopolang Booysen (Manager Technical Services) presented the progress report in as far as projects are concerned.

The tour started at Rooiberg proposed landfill site. The owners of the old tin mine want to donate a site for site for the development of formal landfill site. While in Rooiberg, sports ground was also visited. There is also a new cemetery that is already in use by the community.

The visit continued to Raphuti residential area where 41 of the 100 RDP houses are fitted with solar geysers. Solar geysers offer a huge step forward for households and businesses in South Africa that are looking to cut down on their energy bills. This is supported by facts and figures. Not only that, but using solar energy will help the environment as the world seeks to move rapidly away from using fossil fuels.

Typically, an electrical geyser uses 30 to 50 percent of a household’s monthly electricity bill. About 70% of that portion of your electricity bill can be saved by switching to solar water heating.

From Raphuti, the committee proceeded to Northam upgrading of internal roads and Waste Water Treatment Works. The NWWTW construction has started and monitoring will be done on continuous basis. The next stop was the Thabazimbi pump station where a new motor was recently installed to boost the water pump. The Thabazimbi pump station is currently under upgrade. Thabazimbi Municipality, as reported in the past, has a huge challenge of ageing infrastructure that affects both the Water Services Authority (Thabazimbi Local Municipality) and consumers within our area of jurisdiction.

Implementation of the Water Conservation and Demand Management, maintenance targets and the collapse of water supply and sanitation infrastructure are well into a crisis mode. What you can’t measure you can’t manage. However, growing gaps are evident in both flow and water quality-monitoring networks. The capacity to run associated information system is a challenge leading to inevitable consequences such as the undetected leakage of water along the bulk water supply line. It is likely that there are other incipient or even long-standing problems that are yet undetected due to inadequate monitoring and lack of resources.

The service provider appointed is currently on site and monitoring is done to make sure that the water challenge is addressed.

The committee will continue to monitor the unfolding events and all projects around the municipality and report to the council. The followings members were part of the visit, Cllr T Molefe, Cllr RC Du Preez, Cllr DA Moatshe, Ms MS Mabitsela (Manager Planning and Economic Development) Mr P van Rensburg (Town Planner) Mr D Stolz (Civil Coordinator).

The committee inspecting the Rooiberg sportground.