Mohale’s Hoek, June 11 — The right-hand man to the Chief of Ha-Tankele, Mr. Simon Moji, has appealed to community members to protect and use water responsibly following the official handover of a water supply project by the Department of Rural Water Supply (DRWS).
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Mr. Moji said many communities in the district continue to face water shortages, which threaten public health, hygiene and livelihoods.
He noted that some areas have reportedly gone for more than two months without access to potable water, highlighting the importance of safeguarding available water resources.
Meanwhile, Water Committee Treasurer, Mrs. ‘Mathabang Nkola, said the community worked well with the contractor throughout the implementation of the project.
However, she indicated that progress was delayed because the contractor failed to provide the required materials and did not pay labourers on time.
Mrs. Nkola explained that DRWS inspected the project in July 2025 and found that some minor works had not been completed. She said the foreman, Mr. Bakoena Thebe, had promised to address the outstanding work by August of the same year but failed to do so.
According to Mrs. Nkola, Mr. Thebe only returned to the community in May this year to pay some of the workers he owed.
She further alleged that the foreman still owes payments to villagers who hired out their donkeys to transport construction materials and has not returned two bags of cement borrowed from community members during the final stages of the project.
Mrs. Nkola said these issues have damaged trust between the contractor and members of the community.
In an interview with the Agency, Mr. Thebe admitted that he still owes some community members and promised that the outstanding payments would be settled during the weekend, although he did not specify the exact day.
DRWS Community Liaison Officer, Ms. Mats’eliso Mokhutlole, said the project was funded by the European Union under the Ntlafatsa Bana Programme with technical support from UNICEF.
She expressed concern over the manner in which the project was managed, citing delayed payments to community members and reports that the foreman borrowed cement from vulnerable villagers.
Ms. Mokhutlole said both the department and development partners were disappointed by the challenges experienced during the implementation of the project.
Despite the setbacks, community leaders expressed hope that the completed water supply project will improve access to safe water and contribute to better living conditions for residents of Ha-Tankele.
Ends/MAMO
