Provision of Water and Sanitation is Work in Progress
The delegation of Members of Parliament from the Portfolio Committees on Water and Sanitation, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and Standing Committee on Public Accounts are satisfied with the progress in relations to provision of water and sanitation in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape, especially the R352m drought relief interventions by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and the performance of some of the districts in both provinces. The delegation was on a two-week oversight visit to the two provinces to assess progress in implementation of water and sanitation provision projects.
The work that has been done thus far highlights the realisation that the department’s slogan of “Water is life, sanitation is dignity” should not only be a slogan, but be a practical existence in people’s lives. While the delegation is aware that provision of water and sanitation remains a moving target due to migration and population growth, it has called for a joint effort between all spheres of government to deal with the issues because true service delivery can only happen when all spheres of government work together in collaboration.
KwaZulu-Natal
The delegation welcomes all drought relief interventions in the province, and views them as useful in dealing with the ensuing challenges within the province.
Interventions such as drilling of boreholes, provision of water tanks and emergency water schemes have ensured that people still have access to water despite the drought. “The delegation appreciates that everything possible measure is being put in place to ensure that citizens have water albeit at reduced levels,” said Mr Mlungisi Johnson, the leader of the delegation and the Chairperson of the Water and Sanitation Portfolio Committee.
The Committee further welcomes the palpable cooperation between all levels of government in line with the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act. The delegation remains of the view that it is only through collaboration that such challenges can be overcome. “We therefore encourage the further strengthening of these relations between all levels of government, water boards and traditional leaders within the province,” Mr Johnson emphasised.
Despite this, the delegation has called for speedy consideration by DWS of revised business plans by municipalities as they continue to implement relief measures. The delegation remains of the view that timely consideration of plans and provision of more funding will ensure that interventions are continuously rolled out without interruptions.
The delegation calls for improved communication between authorities and water consumers to improve awareness and to ensure that restrictions are adhered to so that the little water that is available can go a long way. It is also concerning that the province continues to experience high levels of vandalism and theft of water related infrastructure to the detriment of general development and maintenance of infrastructure. An emphasis on education will enhance the fight against vandalism and theft as the community will be encouraged to actively participate in the fight against this scourge.
Meanwhile, the delegation welcomes the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Mhlathuze Water and the Zululand District Municipality aimed at rolling out various water services and intervention projects in wards such as Nongoma and Abaqulusi. The MOU will serve as a guiding framework to ensure that provision of water to Zululand is prioritised as it is one of the most affected areas.
Eastern Cape
The delegation welcomes the back to basics initiatives and interventions as rolled out by the Provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. The categorisation of municipalities per level of intervention will ensure that those municipalities that seek urgent attention will be prioritised with the aim of turning them around. The delegation remains of the view that viable local municipalities are the backbone of service delivery.
On water and sanitation projects in the province, the delegation is of the view that impressive work has been done thus far but there is a need to redouble efforts to ensure that every citizen has access.
The delegation welcomes the completion of 30 409 toilet structure in the Amathole District Municipality (AMD) region. While this represents about half of the total backlog in relations to sanitation, the delegation is convinced that the plans in place will ensure that the municipality is in line to provide sustainable sanitation to all by end of 2017.
The issue of Siyenza Group as the main contractor to implement the accelerated sanitation programme, funded by the Development Bank of South Africa through Municipal Infrastructure Frontloading, was explained to the delegation by the municipality. The delegation congratulates the municipality for taking initiative to investigate the Siyenza Group when they when suspicions were raised.
“We must put it on record that AMD Municipality was a beneficiary of the project and it was upon MISA to have done the necessary due diligence before appointing Siyenza Group in Northern Cape and thereafter recommending the company to AMD. The delegation is convinced that AMD was right to institute its own investigation that has led to the process to terminate the contract with Siyenza,” Mr Johnson emphasised. The delegation will await the outcome of the court processes currently underway.
Meanwhile, the delegation has called for change in focus from Ventilated Improved Pit latrines (VIP) to more technological solutions in dealing with sanitation challenges. The sustainability of VIP toilets represents the main challenge with this solution and in areas visited the toilets did not adequately represent a return of dignity to the people. The department was encouraged to partner Council for Scientific and Industrial Research to come up with viable, sustainable and dignified solutions.
In Makana, the delegation welcomes various interventions from both provincial and national governments. The delegation is hopeful that the newly appointed mayor will bring about stability in the political and administration sphere within the municipality because only a stable leadership will steer the municipality from troubled waters.
The first priority will be to ensure that the municipality adequately spends all its infrastructure grants and implements funded projects to ensure that the infrastructure within the municipality adequately caters for its residents. The delegation welcomes progress with regards to the eradication of the bucket system in Makana, but has emphasised the need to urgently upgrade the waste water treatment plant to cater for increased toilets in the area.
The delegation concluded their visit in Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and there was general consensus that the new leadership is on track in turning the municipality around and providing quality services to the people of the city, especially in Ndlambe Municipality.
The delegation will continue to monitor progress until all projects are implemented and people have access to quality water and sanitation.
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