Zuma duped us

Government promises of funding for Nooitgedacht scheme laughed off – now water restrictions loom

President Jacob Zuma brought government ministers and other political bigwigs to Nelson Mandela Bay on the eve of last year’s election and promised to dish out millions of rands for one of the metro’s biggest water projects.

But yesterday it emerged that the R360-million needed to expand the Nooitgedacht low-level scheme was nothing but a pipe dream.

In fact, senior municipal officials said yesterday Treasury officials had laughed off their pleas last week to pour more money into the project.

The metro’s application for grant funding from the Development Bank of Southern Africa for Nooitgedacht was also turned down, leaving it with no option but to dig deep into its own pockets to fund the expansion.

-Rochelle de Kock