The Nama Khoi coalition municipality has secured a R114 million funding injection through the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), for the upgrading of all old pump stations belonging to Vaal Central Water Board.
The Namakwa Regional Water Supply Scheme is more than 40 years old and was originally constructed by the Department of Water Affairs to supply the greater Springbok area, including the communities of Steinkopf, Bulletrap, Okiep, Nababeep, Springbok, Carolusberg, Concordia and Kleinzee, with potable water. Due to its age and a lack of extensive maintenance over a long period of time, the scheme has reached the end of its useful design life. This has had an increasingly negative impact on communities, who have been battling with a severely interrupted water supply.
While the results of the upgrade will not be instantaneous, the extensive project, which commenced on 1 March 2025, will ultimately bring relief from the repeated water supply challenges experienced by residents of Nama Khoi.
In addition to the water infrastructure investment, the coalition municipality has also entered into a debt-repayment agreement with Vaal Central Water Board to settle inherited, legacy debt. This has opened up a much more cooperative working relationship between the water board and the municipality. It will further culminate in the municipality clearing old debt, as we are doing with the Eskom debt repayment plan, to ultimately free up more funding for service delivery.
The new electrical network from Komaggas to Buffelsrivier, which will give the community of Buffelsrivier a more reliable supply of power, will further improve the water security of both towns.
I wish to thank residents for their patience and endurance, as we work towards improving sustainable water provision to all communities in Nama Khoi. Water is a basic human right and the coalition municipality is doing our utmost to protect and expand it.