Amanzi isikhali esiyingozi emnothweni
Ingomboco yelaboHlanga yakamuva ihlahle indlela yokusebenzisana ezinhlakeni zabalawula amanzi ezifundeni ezintathu eziphakelwa i-Umhlathuze Water
Amanzi angezinye zezidingo ezinqala empilweni yomuntu kodwa umlando ukhomba ukuthi ukutholakala kwawo kungenye yezinto okubangiswane kakhulu ngayo. Emazweni amaningi e-Afrika umbango ngamanzi wagqama kakhulu ngesikhathi abasentshonalanga bedla amazwe nemihlaba ngohlelo lobuKoloni. Kungalesi sikhathi lapho udaba lwamalungelo amanzi lwangenwa yinhlese yezepolitiki njengoba abalimi abamhlophe kuyibo abanikezwa la malungelo okusebenzisa amanzi. Imiphakathi yasemakhaya igcine izithola ingenamalungelo amanzi ageleza ezindaweni zayo. Ukuze lokhu kufezeke abamhlophe bashaya imithetho ethile futhi bahlela nepolitiki yomnotho evuna lokhu.
Yize kuqikelelwa ukuthi amaphesenti angama-72 omhlaba akhiwe amanzi kodwa awatholakali kalula kwabampofu nakwabacindezelekile. Sekukaningi kukhona abaqagela ukuthi cishe impi yesithathu yomhlaba iyodalwa ukubangwa kwamanzi. Emhlabeni, abantu abayizigidigi ezi-2 basebenzisa amanzi adungwe yindle. Abangamaphesenti angama-71 kuphela abasebenzisa izinsizakalo zamanzi okuphuza ezilawulwayo. Bangamaphesenti angama-90 abasebenzisa izindawo zokuthola amanzi okuphuza ezithuthukile ebangeni elithatha imizuzu engama-30 ukuya nokubuya beyokukha amanzi.
Njengoba amanzi elilungelo lemvelo lazo zonke izakhamuzi, kufanele ngabe esikhathini sentando yeningi ukuhlukumezeka kwemiphakathi yasemakhaya ngalesi sidingongqangi yinto engasekho. Lesi simo siholele ekutheni kube nomhlangano wewebinar obuhlelwe yiBayede News lapho bekuxoxiswana ngamalungelo amanzi nemiphakathi yasemakhaya KwaZulu-Natal. Kulo mhlangano bekuneSikhulu Esiphezulu se-Umhlathuze Water, uMnu uMthokozisi Duze, uMnu uSibusiso Mhlongo oyiMeya yasoPongola kanye noMnu uMdumiseni Ntuli onguNobhala we-African National Congress (ANC) KwaZulu-Natal. Ubulawulwa nguMnu uGugulethu Xaba ongungoti kwezomnotho.
I-Umhlathuze Water yinkampani engaphansi kukaHulumeni ephakela amanzi koMasipala bezifunda iZululand, iKing Cetshwayo no-Umkhanyakude. Labo Masipala banegunya lokuphakela amanzi kubantu nezimboni ezikomasipala abangaphansi kwabo. ERichards Bay engaphansi kukaMasipala uMhlathuze, le nkampani ilekelela izimboni ngokuhlanza amanzi anemfucuza.
Ngokubeka kukaDuze, ezinye zezingqinamba le nkampani ebhekana nazo ukuthi njengoba isimo sokutholakala kwamanzi siya ngokuba sibi, ngisho namanzi ageleza emfuleni kodwa awasagelezi ngendlela yakuqala. I-Umhlathuze Water izithola yenza umsebenzi wokugubha imifula namadamu ukuze amapayipi angaqhubeki nokumoma udaka noma umoya okudala izindleko zokulungiswa kwengqalasizinda.
Kulo mhlangano kuvele ukuthi izizathu ezihamba phambili ezenza ukuthi kube nenkinga yokutholakala kwamanzi ukuthi igunya lamanzi liphethwe abamhlophe abangayicabangeli imiphakathi okukhona kuyo amadamu nemifula. Esinye ukuthi phakathi kwamabhodi amanzi afana no-Umhlathuze Water nomasipala bezifunda kuyenzeka kube nokungaboni ngaso linye. UDuze ukuvezile ukuthi ukumbiwa kwezigwedlo zamanzi nokusetshenziswa kwamaloli amanzi akuzona izixazululo okungathenjelwa kuzona.
“Empeleni kunezindlela ezishibhile kunalezi ezingasetshenziswa ukuthi kutholakale amanzi. Enye yazo ukuthi kwakhiwe izakhiwo ezenza amanzi esuselwa emoyeni okungukuthi “air to water”.
Ubalule nokuthi amanzi atholakala ezigwedlweni akunakuthenjelwa kakhulu kuwona njengoba isikhathi esiningi abuye aphele kanti futhi kunengcuphe njengoba esetshenziswa abantu engazange ahlanzwe.
Izikhulumi kulo mhlangano zivumelene ngokuthi umthetho okwakuqondwe ngawo ukuthi udaba lwamanzi luphatheke ngendlela lunomphumela obungahlosiwe.
“IWater Services Act yabekelwa ukuthi kube nezindlela zokuthi kufinyeleliswe intuthuko kubantu ngokushesha hhayi ukuthi kuklolodelwane,” kusho uDuze.
UNtuli ukhale ngokuthi kunalabo abasebenzisa uMthethosisekelo wezwe ukuthi bavimbe izinguquko okuqondwe ngazo ukwelekelela abantu ababencishwe amathuba.
“Lokhu bakwenza ngokuhudelela uHulumeni ezinkantolo. Lo Mthethosisekelo onconywa e-Afrika nasemhlabeni usetshenziswa ngendlela engafanele,” kusho uNtuli.
Izethameli zomhlangano zithole ithuba lokukhononda ngokungaziphathi kahle njengokuthi imisebenzi yokufakelwa kwengqalasizinda ishiywe ingaphelile, ngaleyo ndlela amanzi agcine engafinyelelanga emiphakathini ewadingayo. Esinye sezikhalo esakWadi 14 KwaNongoma lapho umsebenzi wokufakwa kwamapiyipi ungaqedwanga. Echaza ngalolu daba uDuze uthe: “UMnyango Wezamanzi Nokuhlanzwa Kwawo wakhipha imali eyizigidi ezili-R180. Kwathunywa i-Umhlathuze Water ukuba yenze lo msebenzi, yawenza kahle kuMasipala eBaqulusini nakuMasipala uNongoma. Kepha uMnyango waphelelwa yimali ungakapheli umsebenzi KwaNongoma, kubandakanya amaWadi-14 ne-17. Kumanje sinxenxe uMnyango ukuthi kusabelomali sanonyaka unikeze uMasipala wesifunda iZululand imali yokuqedela lo msebenzi”.
UDuze ubeke ngokuthi ayikho imali eyakhwatshwaniswa, yikho inkampani i-Umhlathuze kanye noMnyango babambisana noMvikeli Womphakathi ophenyweni lwalolu daba. Lolu hlelo olwalethwa uMnyango kwakungolokungenelela enkingeni yesomiso esasibhidlangile.
IMeya uMhlongo ikhale ngokungabambisani kwezinhlaka ezahlukene, ikakhulukazi phakathi kukaMasipala wesifunda iZululand ne-Umhlathuze Water. Nokho uDuze uchaze ngokuthi akukho ukungezwani kepha ukwehluka nje kwemibono. IMeya uMhlongo igcizelele ukuthi kufanele kusetshenzwe ngeDistrict Development Model ehlonza ukuthi kufanele izinhlaka ezahlukene zikaHulumeni nezomphakathi zisebenze ndawonye ekuhleleni, ekuhlanganyeleni ngezezimali nezinye izinsiza nokwenziwa kwemisebenzi eletha intuthuko ezweni.
UDuze ugcizelele ukubaluleka kokuthi omasipala abanegunya lokuhlinzeka ngamanzi kufanele bachibiyele izincwadi ezibizwa ngama-Operations and Management Manual, bamukele ukuthi kukhona izindlela ezintsha zokutholakala kwamanzi kusetshenziswa ubuchwepheshe, njengokuguqula umoya wenziwe amanzi nokukhipha ubutswayi emanzini olwandle.
