Sanitation boost for Jeffreys Bay
Kouga Executive Mayor Daphne Kettledas (right) and Infrastructure Portfolio Councillor Patrick Kota visit the upgraded pump station at Apiesdraai.
FOUR sewerage pump stations at Jeffreys Bay have been upgraded at a cost of R17,5-million.
The upgraded stations were handed over to Kouga Municipality on Friday, 22 May 2015.
They are the Apiesdraai pump station on the Aston Bay Road, La Mer at the main beachfront and two smaller stations at Duine Road, Pellsrus.
Kouga Executive Mayor Daphne Kettledas welcomed the upgrades, saying it would “open the door for the delivery of houses to disadvantaged communities”.
“Plans for the building of 1 500 RDP houses at Ocean View and 220 houses at Pellsrus have long been in the pipeline, but construction could not start until the necessary bulk infrastructure was in place. The upgrades to these four pump stations, together with the water reservoir currently under construction, give us the bulk we need to start building houses,” she said.
She acknowledged the significance of the handover ahead of the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Freedom Charter in June.
“Today’s event brings to mind the famous declaration that there will be ‘houses, security and comfort’ for all. The Charter speaks of ‘slums’ being demolished and ‘new suburbs’ being built, with ‘transport, roads, lighting, playing fields, crèches and social centres’.
“In short, it speaks of the development of human settlements. The projects which are being handed over today take us a step closer to achieving this ideal,” she said.”
The Apiesdraai pump station is one of the biggest pump stations at Jeffreys Bay and was upgraded at a cost of R14,5-million while R3-million was spent on upgrading the other three stations. The funding was provided by the Department of Human Settlements.
The Executive Mayor thanked all roleplayers for their contribution to the projects.
“The progress we have made over the past year would not have been possible if it were not for the manner in which all roleplayers took hands and worked together. Our communities, ward councillors, officials, service providers and media partners all played a role in bringing us to this point.”