POLITICS

Drought Committee must brief nation every fortnight - Leon Basson

DA wants regular updates on what’s being done to deal with water crisis

Drought Committee needs to brief the nation on progress every fortnight 

19 November 2015

The DA calls the inter-ministerial committee on the drought to brief the country at least every two weeks during the summer period on the effects of the water shortages and the measures taken by government to mitigate the situation that threatens the day-to-day lives and livelihoods of so many South African people. 

Authorities in the Free State and KZN announced just this week that it would implement scheduled water-shedding across several municipalities. Communities in these provinces now find themselves without water, not just because of the drought and high temperatures, but because of the years of insufficient planning and poor management by the ANC government.   

This failure is evidenced in KZN where, following shortages in the Hazelmere Dam area, the government was supposed to have completed the raising of the Dam by September 2014. However, construction on this project only started one year after the promised completion date. 

The briefings should include information on the digging of boreholes, the dispatching of water tankers and providing clarity on where and when affected municipalities will be implementing water-shedding.  

The ANC government’s response to the water crisis has to date been reactive, limping from incident to incident, without the will or capacity to deal and plan for South Africa’s long term water security. 

In addition the DA will therefore write to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Water, Lulu Johnson, to schedule parliamentary hearings in 2016 on securing the South Africa’s long-term water future.  

Experts have already commented that the Department’s current water policy, as captured in the National Water Resource Strategy of 2013, is not adequate to address South Africa’s water constraints and is based on dated information.  

The Committee must seek to establish, amongst other things: 

- How South Africa can be put on a path towards being a country which recycles water;

- Best practice on how to urgently address the unacceptable amount of non-revenue losses in our municipalities;

- How the government plans on financing the infrastructure short fall of R35 billion per year over the next years;

- Ways in which to address the current skills deficit in the water sector.

The Committee must call relevant role players, including the Department of Water and Sanitation, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, the water boards, catchment management agencies, the Water Research Commission and the Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority. 

In addition, water experts, academics and engineering associations should also be called to give input. 

The DA cannot stand by and let another Eskom-scenario unfold. A large scale water crisis will cause suffering and should be avoided at all costs. 

Issued by Leon Basson, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, 19 November 2015