Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister, David Mahlobo has earnestly pleaded with Kgabo Park residents in Moletji just outside Polokwane in Limpopo to play their part in safeguarding water and sanitation infrastructure which is meant to benefit them.

"As a department, we are worried about the vandalism occurring currently to the water and sanitation infrastructure, and we appeal to you as a community to look after it as it belongs to you," said Deputy Minister Mahlobo.

The Deputy Minister made this call on Thursday, 13 October 2022 during the official launch and handover ceremony of three solar-powered boreholes in the area that came as a result of a private public partnership between Coca Cola Beverages of South Africa (CCBSA) and the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) dubbed as Cokeville Project.

"We are grateful to Coca Cola for their partnership. Water is a matter of life and death, we are aware that this intervention is not going to resolve all our water related challenges, but it will assist a big deal," said the Deputy Minister Mahlobo.

The handover ceremony was attended by Kgoshi Kgabo Moloto III, Polokwane Municipality Mayor Councillor John Mpe, MMC of water and sanitation Councillor Alfred Moakamadi, CCBSA management and DWS officials amongst others.

This innovative, solar-powered groundwater harvesting system is aimed at addressing water shortages in the country and seeks to provide water access to distressed rural communities.

This newly launched project has a total capacity to pump, treat, store, and distribute 30 mega litres of clean water per year and will benefit over 200000 households in both Ga-Ramoshwane and Kgabo Park villages.

As a cherry on top 100 water wheelers were also donated to 100 identified households, and this will help in terms of fetching water from the boreholes to their homes.

South Africa is a water-scarce country with water shortages being experienced in many parts of the country and more so in Limpopo.

Both DWS and CCBSA consider reliable access to good, safe water as essential to life, nature, and the health of our communities, hence it is important to support local water access projects that help bring safe, clean drinking water to communities in need.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Department of Water and Sanitation, Republic of South Africa.