In an effort to curb the water crisis residents of Mabitsi A and Vaalbank outside Marble Hall have to endure, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Ephraim Mogale Local Municipality (EMLM) has donated a motor and water pump in the area.
The villages have five dysfunctional boreholes that were vandalised years ago which the local municipality has not attended to date.
The DA says that it has noted that there is plenty of underground water that the community could use, hence the donation of the motor and water pump to revive one of the dysfunctional boreholes between Vaalbank and Mabistsi A.
According to the party, residents have been without water for years, many were compelled to buy water from those who own boreholes.
Flip Jacobs, DA EMLM ward councillor and caucus leader, says following a tour of the area, they considered it necessary to help ease the residents’ water crisis.
“It was sad to see how people had to fetch water from a distance using wheelbarrows and also seeing them having to use the little money that they have to buy water. We decided to revive one of the central boreholes for the two villages so that they can have access to clean water. It took us a year to get the motor and water pump, but we are glad that a sponsor finally came through,” explains Jacobs.
He further called on residents to care for the motor and water pump and guard it against vandalism and theft.
Ketuma Phala, DA ward 12 councillor, says the boreholes have not been working since 1987 and several of the community’s attempts to get the local municipality to fix the boreholes bore no fruits.
Phala says the lack of access to water is a serious challenge for the three villages, Mabitsi A, Mmotwaneng and Vaalbank that were dependant on the five currently dysfunctional boreholes.
“The donation will help the residents to get access to clean water. We are hoping that it will be working before Christmas,” says Phala.
Kenneth Mmadihlaba, a resident, says they welcomed the donation but added that they would still need to find an energy source for the motor and water pump since there is no electricity in the area where the targeted borehole is.
