Deputy President Paul Mashatile visits the Babanango Water Supply Scheme in KwaZulu-Natal during the official launch of the project on Nelson Mandela International Day. Photo Credit: GCIS

NNA News - South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile opened a new water scheme in rural KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday, which will provide 500,000 litres of treated water a day to rural communities that have gone without it. The launch coincided with Nelson Mandela International Day. "Today, through the Babanango Water Supply Scheme, we are declaring that access to water cannot be a privilege enjoyed by some; it must be a reality for all," Mashatile told residents.

Water will be sourced from protected springs, with a borehole available as a backup. The project also includes a treatment plant, reservoirs, pipelines and distribution lines that will serve the communities of Ngwebeni, Enkanini, Nkonjane, Nhlengile and Nkangala. Mashatile opened with Mandela’s words from an address in this province, KwaZulu-Natal, in 2008. "The world remains beset by so much suffering, poverty and deprivation. It is in your hands to make our world a better one for all, especially the poor, vulnerable and marginalised." "Today, as we commemorate Mandela Day, we respond to that call through practical action that uplifts communities," Mashatile said.

For the South African Deputy President, the project was about the dignity of the village. "When a community has no access to clean and reliable water, it is denied more than a basic service; it is denied dignity, opportunity and the full enjoyment of its constitutional rights," he said. He added: "We cannot fully claim equality or development as long as vulnerable groups, including women, children and the elderly, endure significant hardships such as long journeys to collect water because of inadequate infrastructure."

Mashatile explained that the scheme forms part of the government's District Development Model, which pools national, provincial and local efforts to deliver services. He thanked the Department of Water and Sanitation, uMngeni-uThukela Water and local structures for delivering the project. The Deputy President also flagged wider challenges facing water delivery, including climate swings, ageing pipes, a growing population and years of underinvestment. "Government is accelerating water access through boreholes, spring protection, rainwater harvesting and rehabilitation of schemes," he said.

Deputy President Paul Mashatile speaks during the launch of the Babanango Water Supply Scheme in KwaZulu-Natal, where he said access to clean water is a constitutional right and essential to restoring dignity in rural communities. Photo Credit: GCIS

Two other programmes, the National Water Access Acceleration Programme and the Water Services Infrastructure Grant, aim to reduce backlogs in rural areas. As part of Mandela Day, Mashatile announced 27 more decentralised water projects across KZN. Addressing residents directly, he said: "To the people of Babanango and the surrounding communities, this project is yours. Protect it. Value it. Use it wisely." "The sustainability of projects such as this one depends on community ownership and active participation."

He closed by quoting Mandela once more: "What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead." "Today, through this project, we restore dignity, deliver freedom and honour Madiba's legacy through action," Mashatile said.

Mandela Day on 18 July marks Nelson Mandela International Day, declared by the United Nations in 2009 to honour Mandela’s legacy through 67 minutes of community service. Mandela, South Africa’s first democratically elected president and 1993 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, dedicated 67 years of his life to public service and the struggle for social justice in South Africa and globally. This year’s theme is "It's still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity." For the villagers of Babanango, that meant turning on the taps.