UMasipala ufuna imvume yokulawula amanzi
LUYAJIYA udaba lwenkinga yamanzi kuMasipala ongaphansi kwesiFunda uMkhanyakude, okunguMtubatuba, KwaZulu-Natal njengoba usufuna ukunikezwa ilungelo lokuba uzisingathele wona amanzi kunokuba alawulwe isiFunda ongaphansi kwaso. Lo masipala ungabanye abakhahlanyezwe isomiso ekanti wona uqale ukubhekana nalesi simo kusuka ngowezi-2009.
Kumanje iziphathimandla zawo zibhalele uMnyango wezaManzi neNhlanzeko, oholwa uNgqongqoshe uNomvula Mokonyane ukuze zithole imvume yokuba umasipala uziphathele ngokwawo amanzi namadamu akuwo. IMeya uQhina Mkhwanazi, ithe babone kungcono ukuba banikezwe imvume yokuba baziphathele amanzi kunokuba babheke ukucela emkhandlwini omkhulu wesiFunda waseMkhanyakude, okuyiwo ngokugunyazwa umthetho osingethe uhlelo lwamanzi. “SinguMasipala waseMtubatuba sibhalele uMnyango wezaManzi neNhlanzeko kaMhlonishwa uNomvula Mokonyane ukuba basinikeze igunya lokuba sizisingathele amanzi, singalokhu sicela kuMkhanyakude. Senze lesi sicelo ngoba sinomfula omkhulu lapha okuyiMfolozi onamanzi amaningi angabasizi abantu bakithi.
Lo mfula uvele wonke amanzi uwachithela olwandle lwase-St Lucia angawusiza umphakathi. Ngakho sibone kungcono ukuba sifake isicelo sokuba namandla okulawula amanzi ukuze sisebenzise leli damu ukuba umthombo wamanzi abantu baseMtubatuba. Angingabazi ukuthi ngendlela amaningi ngayo amanzi aseMfolozi, angaphilisa abantu bakithi iminyaka ecela kweyishumi uma kungathiwa sihlaselwa isomiso esingathatha leyo minyaka. Ngisho lomise kangakanani lingagcine selizelanetha,” kusho uMkhwanazi. Uveze nokuthi lesi sinyathelo abasithathile sibajabulisile abantu abakhele umkhandlu wabo ikakhulukazi labo abakhokha intela njengoba besebedubile bengasayikhokhi, bekhala ngokuthi abasiboni isidingo ngoba amanzi abawatholi nezidingo ziyagqoza.
UMkhwanazi uthe kumanje lo mphakathi wasemawadini amathathu okuyiwo okhokha intela usuqalile uyayikhokha kanti ngenyanga bayayikhokha imali yezidingo abazithola emkhandlwini efinyelela ezigidini ezintathu ngenyanga. Uqhube wathi nokho abagagameli ngalesi sicelo ngoba bazobe bengewona umasipala omncane ukuziphathela amanzi kodwa bakhona abanye baKwaZulu-Natal asebanikezwa igunya lokuzisingathela amanzi. Ubesho lapha ebala uMasipala waseMhlathuze ongaphansi kowesiFunda obizwa ngokuthi iNkosi Cetshwayo owawaziwa ngokuthi kusoThungulu. Omunye uMasipala awubalile owabaQulusi ongaphansi kwesiFunda iZululand.
UMkhwanazi ukusho lokhu nje inkinga yamanzi idale umsindo omkhulu eMtubatuba nakwabanye omasipala abakhelene nawo abangaphansi koMkhanyakude. Ngowezi-2014 kusuke isidumo ngesikhathi kuvela ukuthi umkhandlu waseMkhanyakude ukhiphe ithenda yezigidi zamarandi yokufakelwa kwamanzi kuzona zonke izindawo ezingaphansi komasipala abakhele lo masipala wesiFunda. Umsindo wadalwa ukuthi kwatholakala amapayipi amanzi enani lezigidi ezili-R15, egingqika ezinkalweni zaseMkhanyakude ekubeni kwakuthiwe azohambisa amanzi kubantu. Ngaleso sikhathi umphakathi wawuthwele kanzima ngenxa yesomiso esasinamandla kanti nemfuyo yayigula enye igcina ngokufa ngoba amanzi ingasawatholi. Eminye imiphakathi igcine isisizwa imayini IThendele, ebisihambisela izakhamizi amanzi ewamba phansi nabekulungele ukuba angaphuzwa abantu.
Lolu daba lugcine selungumnqakiswano wamaqembu ezepolitiki kusolwa uMkhanyakude ngokuthi wakhipha ithenda yezigidi ezingama-R73 ukuba kuthengwe amapayipi amanzi ngendlela engekho emthethweni. Kugcine sekufakwana ezinkantolo phakathi kwenkampani eyayithinteka nomkhandlu uMkhanyakude. Le thenda yamanzi yanikezwa inkampani iSinosa kodwa yagcina isifaka uMkhanyakude enkantolo iwusola ngokuthi ukwelata le nkampani imali eyizigidi ezilishumi. Kuthe kusenjalo kwaphuma uMkhanyakude nawo wafaka udaba enkantolo ukhala ngokuthi iSinosa yiwo ewukweleta izigiudi ezili-R15 kule mali yethenda eyayikhishwe ukuba kufakwe amapayipi amanzi. Muva nje uMcwaningi Mabhuku Jikelele, uMnu uKimi Makwetu, udalule ukuthi kwasetshenziswa budedengu imali eyizigidi ezingama-R560 ezazibhekele izinhlelo zamanzi ukuba ahanjiswe emphakathini owakhele omasipala abangaphansi koMkhanyakude okuhlanganisa uMtubatuba neJozini. Lo mbiko kaMcwaningi Mabhuku Jikelele uphume ngoNhlaba wezi-2017.
Okhulumela uMnyango wezaManzi neNhlanzeko, uMnu uMlimandlela Ndamase uthe akakwazi ukuphawula ngencwadi kaMasipala waseMtubatuba kodwa ucela ukuthunyelelwa umyalezo ngeselula ukuze akwazi ukuyobheka ehhovisi ngaphambi kokuba aphawule. “Ngizocela ningithumelele umyalezo ngeselula ukuze ngikwazi ukubheka le ncwadi yaseMtubatuba. Ngaphandle kwalokho banalo ilungelo eMtubatuba lokufaka isicelo baphinde banikezwe ilungelo lokusingatha amanzi njengoba kwenzeka nakwabanye omasipala,” kusho uNdamase.