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The Eastern Cape provincial government is awaiting a consolidated report by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and charity organisation Gift of the Givers on the water intervention measures undertaken in the drought-stricken Makana Local Municipality.
The province convened a stakeholder engagement meeting on Thursday to support the municipality and strengthen working relations with Gift of the Givers and all stakeholders involved in aiding the municipality.
READ: Gift of the Givers pulls out of dry Makhanda, says other companies to be paid for its work
The humanitarian organisation had pulled out after it alleged that private contractors would be paid by the municipality for work it had already done, News24 previously reported.
Nomphelo Roboji, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs' Deputy Director General for Development of Local Government, said Thursday's meeting was also to clarify outstanding issues between Gift of the Givers, DWS and the municipality.
"The provincial government commissioned Amatola Water Board (AW) to improve the quality and provision of reliable water supply in the municipality.
"The aim of the report is to determine the exact work undertaken by the GoG in drilling boreholes in Makana Local Municipality. We thank the community of Makana for using water sparingly in line with the restrictions by Makana Local Municipality," said Roboji.
Gift of the Givers' Badr Kazi said the organisation's role was to stabilise a situation during a disaster and were not an infrastructure relief organisation.
"In the case of Makana, this was done and future work must be undertaken by skilled service providers. There is a transparent willingness by all parties to resolve all outstanding issues," said Kazi.
DWS provincial head Portia Makhanya, in her report, said they verified the work undertaken by the charity organisation and the oversight report has been drafted.
Makhanya said some information would be finalised soon.
"The water situation in Makana is stable despite the dam levels in the western side of town remaining critically low."
