Pretoria: KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Thulasizwe Buthelezi, has welcomed the Department of Water and Sanitation’s decision to allocate an additional R317 million in water infrastructure grants to municipalities across the province.
According to South African Government News Agency, the additional funding is provided through the Water Services Infrastructure Grant (WSIG) and the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG). These grants are intended to assist municipalities with water authority status in expanding access to water services. The allocation aims to address water supply challenges and ensure that communities, particularly in rural areas, have reliable access to water.
The additional allocation under the WSIG includes R15 million each for Ugu District Municipality, Newcastle Local Municipality, and Amajuba District Municipality. Zululand District Municipality has been allocated R55.434 million under the WSIG and a further R217.247 million under the RBIG.
Buthelezi emphasized that the additional funding allocated to these municipalities is based on their effective utilisation of previous allocations. This demonstrates a strong commitment to expanding water access across the province. He stated that the total additional grant allocation of R317,681,000 will be used to augment water infrastructure projects, ensuring that water supply reaches all communities of KwaZulu-Natal.