Durban — The oThongathi water plant which was washed away during the floods earlier this year will be rebuilt soon.
EThekwini Municipality mayor Mxolisi Kaunda on Monday set in motion the plans by employing and introducing the contractor that will be rebuilding the plant for the community.
The work has commenced and is expected to cost R31 million and is expected to be finished after four months.
The company that has been given the job is ICON Construction. It is expected to hire at least 50% of workers from the area during the implementation of the project, so jobs will be created.
“A minimum of 10% of the contract value will be allocated to women, youth, people with disabilities and military veteran-owned enterprises,” said Kaunda
“We are working together with Tongaat Hulett who have speedily responded to ensure that they repair their road which made us not have access to the plant because it was badly hit by the floods, and now the road has been completed and we can now commence the work.”
Kaunda also mentioned that they would have long started the project but it was delayed due to an objection lodged at the municipality about the appointment of the contractor just when the work was about to start.
He then said the objection was however opposed hence they are implementing the project on Monday.
The rebuilding of the plant is expected to restore water supply to the community, which has been having water troubles for some time.
Area councillor Thobekani Nene expressed his gratitude for the project.
“We are very happy with the implementation of this work; we hope everything will run smoothly and there will be no hiccups during the course of it,” oThongathi resident Sphumelele Khuzwayo said.
They have been waiting for this moment as they had been struggling without water.
“We are grateful to the mayor and other leadership members involved for coming to our rescue as we have been struggling for a really long time without having water, but them introducing the contractor today gives us hope,” Khuzwayo said.
Kaunda added that the quality of the water is expected to be of good as everything will be done according to a standard that the municipality has set.
Daily News