More than 1,280 residents of Donkerhoek Farm in the Mkhondo Local Municipality are celebrating improved access to clean drinking water following the completion of the Donkerhoek Water Supply Project.
The project, delivered through a public-private partnership between Kangra Coal Mine, various government departments and the local municipality, is aimed at improving access to basic services and enhancing the quality of life in rural communities.
The new water infrastructure was officially handed over to the community by Deputy Ministers David Mahlobo of Water and Sanitation and Phumzile Mgcina of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, together with Mpumalanga MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA), Speed Mashilo.
Mashilo said the project demonstrates the positive impact that partnerships between government and the private sector can have on community development.
The infrastructure includes a protected natural spring water source with a combined capacity of approximately 6,250 litres per hour, 15 JoJo water storage tanks with a capacity of 10,000 litres each installed at three strategic locations, and 27 kilometres of pipeline connecting the spring to the storage tanks and individual households.
“As government, we appreciate Kangra Coal Mine for its commitment to uplifting community development,” said Mashilo.
Kangra Coal Mine Stakeholder Relations Manager, Mpfuneni Mulaudzi, said the handover forms part of the mine’s ongoing Social and Labour Plan (SLP), which seeks to install water infrastructure across eight farms in the area.
“The project highlights the company’s legal and moral obligation to bring about positive change in people’s lives. This is a life-transforming breakthrough for the community of Donkerhoek and an indication of what can be achieved when government and the private sector work together,” said Mulaudzi.
The project was identified through community consultations and aligns with the Mkhondo Local Municipality’s Integrated Development Plan (IDP) priorities.
For many residents, the project has ended years of hardship. Eighty-nine-year-old community member Gogo Nomgcibelo Hlope said she and her neighbours previously walked long distances to collect water from nearby streams using buckets and wheelbarrows. The water was often contaminated by livestock, posing serious health and hygiene risks.
“I am grateful that we now have clean, potable water. We no longer have to drink water contaminated by cows and horses,” she said.
Hlope added that access to water has also enabled her to maintain a thriving vegetable garden in her yard, improving food security for her household.
Deputy Minister Mahlobo described the project as a beacon of hope for the community.
“This public-private partnership has brought hope to the people of Donkerhoek. They now have access to clean, quality water, which is essential for improving their health and quality of life,” he said.
The Donkerhoek Water Supply Project stands as an example of how collaboration between government and the private sector can deliver lasting solutions to rural communities, while improving living conditions and restoring dignity through access to one of life’s most basic necessities.
