September 4, 2003
By Lucky Sindane
OPERATION Gcin'amanzi, a five-year multi-million rand project to upgrade and replace Soweto's decaying water infrastructure, was officially launched in Phiri, Soweto this week.
Addressing about 500 Soweto residents, Johannesburg's mayor, Amos Masondo, said water was a strategic resource and "we can not afford to lose a drop".
Mayor Amos Masondo launched the water project in Soweto. He was joined by Joburg Water MD Greg Segoneco, Councillor Brian Hlongwa and the City Manager Pascal Moloi
"This project not only marks the vision of the City, but we hope it will be the beginning of a positive relationship with the residents of Soweto", said project manager of Operation Gcin'amanzi, Agmat Badat.
Operation Gcin'amanzi, which means "Save Water", is a Johannesburg Water (JW) project that will see R450-million spent over the next five years in upgrading the water reticulation network in Soweto "to ensure a reliable and affordable service to every household in the area".
An important element of Operation Gcin'amanzi was the installation of pre-paid meters in every household, "to enable consumers to plan and budget their water usage. The meters will help residents to keep track of their consumption and reduce their costs," said JW's MD Greg Segoneco.
"JW is responsible for the management of 9 500 kilometres of pipes, transporting water from our reservoirs into the homes of consumers," said Segoneco.
Placed end to end, JW's pipes would stretch from Johannesburg to London, or the equivalent of seven times the distance between Johannesburg and Cape Town, Segoneco added.
One of the major problems experienced by JW was the vast size and the age of the City's reticulation system. Johannesburg lost an estimated seven billion litres of water each month due to leakages. "Given the size of our network, one should expect water leakage to occur," Segoneco said.
"It should be taken into account that the pipes in the greater Soweto date back a number of decades and have reached the end of their natural life cycles," he added.
It was these pipes that were to be replaced. Work had already started in Phiri, chosen because of its high water losses and low water pressure problems. "Water is a strategic resource which needs to be consumed, therefore we can not afford to lose a drop, we have to save water", the mayor said.
A crucial aspect of Operation Gcin'amanzi was an education campaign to teach residents about the need to save water and inform consumers of what JW was doing in the community.
There had been protests over JW's upgrading programme, with some people trying to stop it from going ahead.
A door-to-door campaign in Phiri was to be undertaken soon, giving consumers the chance to ask questions of the JW staff. "We can look forward to a positive future", said Badat.
"Consultation with residents started eight months ago and they are fully behind the project," said mayoral committee member responsible for municipal services entities, Brian Hlongwa. "We need to restore the integrity of the infrastructure, and anyone who vandalises the infrastructure will be arrested," he added.
The mayor added his support to the project. "We appreciate what JW is doing. Many people don't have access to clean water. It is not only in South Africa - people in Paris and Bangkok don't have quality clean water," Masondo said.
"At JW we believe the people of Soweto deserve a quality water service and we are committed to delivering this service to every household and every consumer of water in the city," said Segoneco.
