22 April 2011 - Namaqualand Information

Springbok without water for days
The Orange River is in flood and holiday resorts are washing away, but only
100km to the south, residents of Springbok have been without a drop of
water in their homes for between seven and 12 days.
Guesthouse owner Konrad Steyn said the dam which supplies two of his
guesthouses had been without water since December 10.
"I have managed over the past two months with my own supply of borehole
water, which cost me R70 000 in total.
"Over the past 11 days I have let employees of restaurants and other
businesses where people work with the public, shower at my place so that
they can at least clean up."
High-lying properties affected
Steyn said all the higher-lying institutions like the prison, the old-age home,
supermarkets, schools, guesthouses and the hospital are without water.
"No communication from the municipality has been issued - no warning or
any notice about what will be done about the problem," added Steyn.
Namakwaland High School principal Sidney Monk said the school was not
affected as it is in a low-lying area.
"But at my home I don't have water. We try to get water from neighbours
and other residents' pools, just to flush the toilets.
"For the first time (on Wednesday) the municipality handed out letters to
announce water restrictions. But it did not refer to the total shortage in some
households," said Monk.
Pipe burst
Meanwhile, Madeleinne Brandt, municipal manager of the Nama Khoi
municipality, explained that they had to apply crisis management with the
Namakwa water board on Saturday.
"Our water system is completely empty because a pipe burst over the
weekend. We are currently having water tanks driven in. There is again
water in the system, but the higher-lying regions are still affected by a
shortage."
She added the supply is running on low pressure as there are fears that a
pipe could burst again.
"The estimated cost of strengthening the infrastructure of the pipeline, is
R500m," she said.
Brandt said this infrastructure was created 30 years ago and no attention
was given to population growth.
The pipeline stretches over 138km and technical breaks are "something that
happens". (Ilse Krige, Die Burger)
Springbok house - 80 days no water
Kimberley - Water shortages in the Northern Cape town of Springbok have
worsened, with one home not having had supply for more than 80 days,
civil rights group AfriForum said on Monday.
"Residents claim the municipality refuses to supply water to Springbok by
water cart, while other areas in Nama Khoi [Municipality] are supplied with
water," spokesperson Cornelius Jansen van Rensburg said in a
statement.He said the shortage had gone on for several months and could
become life threatening, since the town was in an arid part of the country.
Jansen van Rensburg attributed the crisis to poor maintenance and
planning and accused the municipality of gross mismanagement.
"The installation of pipelines and maintenance of other infrastructure was
simply neglected."
The organisation gave the municipality until 16:00 on Tuesday to meet its
demands to resolve the water shortage.
"If the municipality does not reinstate residents' access to water, AfriForum
will assist the community of Springbok in launching a legal action."The
municipality could not be reached for comment.- SAPA
Pryse vir paspoorte, ID's
styg skerp Sommige Kapenaars
het 'n dag se verlof van werk en universiteit
geneem om aansoek te doen vir
identiteitsdokumente en paspoorte voor die
pryse vir dié dokumente Vrydag aangepas
word.
Honderde mense het die departement van
binnelandse sake se kantoor in Bellville
besoek, waar meer as 1500 aansoeke
verwerk is.Vanaf 1 April word die tarief om
'n ID te hernu vanaf R20 tot R140 verhoog,
terwyl die tarief vir paspoorte van R190 tot
R400 styg.(Nuus 24)
Klipkerk, Springbok – hoofdorp Namakwaland
NAMA KHOI
WATERNOOD
Die afgelope week was daar weer verskeie watertekorte in die
Nama Khoi munisipale gebied omdat van die ou verweerde
pype weer gebars het of omdat pompe verstop geraak
het.Woensdag is ook begin om ‗n 150-meter lange pyp te
vervang.
Nama Khoi het vanaf hierdie dag(Woensdag) vier waterlorries
beskikbaar gestel in gebiede soos Nababeep,Okiep,Bergsig,
Fonteintjie,Springbok en die lughawe-gebied.‘n Vyfde lorrie was
op bystand geplaas.
Voor die naweek behoort alles weer ―normaal‖ te wees, volgens
die Namakwa Waterraad en word daar gehoop dat die pype sal
hou.Intussen is daar ‗n mate van lig in die donker tonnel, ten
opsigte van watervoorsiening.
Volgens mnr.Christiaan Carstens, bestuurder van die Namakwa
Waterraad, het hulle nou R57miljoen beskikbaar om kritieke
herstelwerk te doen.Tot 30 Maart,2012 gaan R16 milj spandeer
word en vir die volgende boekjaar(2013) R41milj.
‘n Tydelike lyn(by-pass),tussen Steierkraal en Okiep, behoort teen
Mei, dié jaar, gereed te wys.Dit is hierdie gedeelte, wat tans die
vrotste is en waar barste gereeld voorkom.
Vanaf Oktober,dié jaar, behoort begin te word om die pypleiding
stelselmatig te vervang, Let wel nie te herstel nie,maar te vervang.
Dit gaan ‗n paar jaar neem om die volle 138km pypleiding te
vervang, volgens ingenieurs.
Intussen het dit onder die aandag van die munisipaliteit gekom dat
inwoners in sekere gebiede in Springbok onder die indruk verkeer
dat die waterbeperkings opgehef is.Blykbaar word tuine na
willekeur natgemaak.Die munisipaliteit betreur hierdie
onverskilligheid en maan inwoners weereens om water
spaarsamig te gebruik.Dit is ook van toepassing op water wat
inwoners self opgegaar het in tenke,ens.
Op hierdie stadium maak die munisipalieit weereens staat op die
samewerking van elke inwoner, soos dit in die verlede gedoen
is.Die leuse: ―As ons saamstaan, kan ons meer bereik,‖ is seer
sekerlik ook van toepassing op die huidige waterprobleem, want
dit raak almal. (I.Cloete)
A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he
thinks, he becomes. Mahatma Gandhi
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