Programme director,
Deputy Mayor of Ugu District Municipality: Cllr Chiliza,
Mayor of Umdoni Local Municipality: Cllr Khwela,
Councillors,
Representative from SALGA,
Representatives from Water Boards,
Members of the media,
Ladies and gentlemen.
Good morning.
I would like to join fellow South Africans and the people of the world in wishing the father of our nation Tata Madiba, a speedy recovery. Our thoughts and prayers are with you Tata.
It is gratifying to be part of this august event of the KwaZulu-Natal Water Conservation Indaba here in Scottburgh.
In a recent study by the Water Research Commission, it has been reported that water is lost in the system with a reported loss for KwaZulu-Natal of 37.2%, hence the Water Conservation Indaba to respond to the state of water loss in KwaZulu-Natal.
Municipalities are incurring loss of revenue through unaccounted for water exacerbated by leaking pipes and taps. Water leaks are a major cause of concern that if not arrested timeously they might lead to disaster.
This is further deepened by President Zuma’s call to reduce water loss by half in 2014. Hence we introduced the War on Leaks Project which aims to eradicate leaks at household level, educate users about water conservation, fixing leaks, creating jobs for young people and skills development.
This Indaba is a first of its kind and it seeks to address the water conservation challenges faced by the Water Service Authorities in their areas of jurisdiction. For many South Africans, under apartheid, the lack of access to water had an outrageous assault on their health, their development and their dignity.
The delivery of water to all sectors of our population is paramount in restoring human dignity and addressing the injustices of the past. Earlier this morning, we embarked on a door to door visit to indigent identified households to fix leaking taps in eMalangeni village.
This month marks the 37th anniversary of the 16 June Soweto uprising. While the youth of 1976 fought for freedom and the creation of a democratic state, today’s youth activism is directed towards successfully tackling the challenges of poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, HIV and AIDS, personal development and economic freedom.
The KwaZulu-Natal Water Conservation Indaba will look at not only ensuring that non-revenue water and loss are reduced and water use efficiency is increased, but also at empowering and educating our youth on water issues.
The Department of Water Affairs recognises the need for local government support as the lack of resources often hinders the implementation of projects therefore the Department has intervened with programmes like Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant, Accelerated Community Infrastructure Programme, National Transfers and Municipal Water Infrastructure Grant to assist with infrastructure development, refurbishment and upgrading.
I am particularly excited on the opportunities that the Municipal Water Infrastructure Grant offers in support of the Water Conservation and Demand Management programmes to be implemented by Water Service Authorities and am hoping to see tangible results of programmes implemented by all Water Service Authorities in KwaZulu-Natal.
To further assist municipalities to assess and improve their water use efficiency the Department in partnership with the Strategic Water Partners Network – South Africa, is developing a “No Drop” Programme, building on the successful Green Drop and Blue Drop programmes.
We have brought our Blue Bus to the Ugu District Municipality in preparation for this event with a specific aim of creating awareness and educating our communities about water use efficiency through live interactions with our water ambassadors and industrial theatre productions.
It gives me great pleasure to launch the KwaZulu-Natal Water Conservation Forum that is composed of champions from all the Water Service Authorities. These champions will develop a programme of action to address the water loss challenges. They will report directly to their respective mayors.
I appeal to all the mayors to have a dedicated budget and human resources for water conservation. The mayors should also ensure that water conservation is institutionalised in the business of their municipalities. The success of this programme is highly dependent on the support and political leadership from our mayors and councillors.
I will come back to this province to check on the progress of this forum.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the integral part of this remarkable event would be the signing of the pledge by all stakeholders including the Department of Water Affairs, COGTA, SALGA, Water Service Authorities and Water Boards, as gesture of support and commitment to the Forum.
Let water unite us… Water is life, Conserve it, Respect it, Enjoy it.
I thank you!
Enquiries:
Peter Mbelengwa
Cell: 082 611 8197
