Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu has established a Water Political Steering Committee in KwaZulu-Natal to tackle water challenges in the province.
The committee, chaired by the Minister, includes Premier Sihle Zikalala, Water and Sanitation Deputy Ministers Dikeledi Magadzi and David Mahlobo and executive mayors of municipalities in the province.
The committee will work to ensure accountability in the water sector, and will be responsible for ensuring the alignment of resources and provide necessary oversight in resolving issues during project implementation.
Mchunu was, this week, also presented with a plan of implementation for the uMkhomazi Water Project Phase 1.
Some executive mayors expressed concern about the affordability of and timeframes for implementing the project, saying the nine-year period set out for the project is too long.
The project is intended to be a water transfer scheme, with raw water to be stored in the uMkhomazi river catchment and transferred to the uMlalazi river catchment.
Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority CE Percy Sechemane, while making the presentation, said the water requirement projections showed that the Umgeni System had been experiencing a deficit from 2016 and, therefore, the augmentation of the system from the uMkhomazi Water Project was critical.
"The project is the most viable long-term scheme that should augment the Umgeni Water Supply System as soon as possible," he added.