Residents of Jerusalem and Mshadza, in the City of Mbombela, in Mpumalanga have been provided with six 10 000 l water storage tanks and six boreholes as part of government’s efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19).

More than 20 water storage tanks were also handed over to Bushbuckridge local municipality to ensure that communities have access to water to aid in the regular washing of hands.

Deputy Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation David Mahlobo handed over the boreholes and water tanks and was accompanied by the Premier of Mpumalanga Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane.

“We are very pleased that these areas that don’t have water are now having water. The message is that even beyond this Covid-19 pandemic, we should be able to sustain this levels of service delivery and ensure that for these communities who don’t have water, infrastructure is built,” stated Mahlobo.

Mtshweni-Tsipane called on communities to take ownership of the infrastructure and protect it from vandalism.

“We want to humbly appeal to communities to please guard this infrastructure because it is your own, as communities, and not [part] of the infrastructure as government. Please guard jealously against anyone who tries to vandalise it and report to the police,” said the premier.

She also called on water tanker drivers to regularly refill the tanks and urged municipalities to monitor the water tankers to ensure that communities have reliable water supply.

“We understand that you are willing to adhere to the coronavirus outbreak restrictions of social distancing, washing your hands regularly, but it becomes a hard call if you don’t have water, hence we will ensure that the tanks never go a day without water,” Mtshweni-Tsipane promised.