The deputy minister of the Department of Water and Sanitation, Judith Tshabalala visited the Northern Cape on Friday, 03 November 2023 to assess the Water Allocation programs in both Upington and Kakamas. The deputy minister was accompanied by the MEC for agriculture, environmental affairs, rural development, and land reform Mase Manopule as well as the mayors of the Dawid Kruiper and Kai Garib municipalities. The Department of Water and Sanitation says the visit was not only to assess the Water Allocation programs but to hear the cries of the community and farmers of these local municipalities. The deputy minister stated how unhappy she was with the quality of services the local farmers were receiving from their municipalities and communicated that she as well as the mayors of Kakamas and Upington would draft a plan on how they would resolve these matters. INSERT [Deputy minister] The deputy minister instructed the municipal representatives to provide her with updates in a timeframe of two weeks and explained how she wants to close the gap between farmers and the government. The Department of Water and sanitation aims to see rehabilitation for disadvantaged individuals projects in the weeks to come.

Journalist: Tasha-Ree Kella
Email: tashakella13@gmail.com