Inspired by co-author Maude Barlow of Blue Gold: The Battle Against Corporate Theft of the World's Water, Minister in the Presidency, Trevor Manuel emphasised at the second annual Africa Water Week in Midrand, Johannesburg today that, "Every day more children die from dirty water than from HIV and AIDS, malaria, war and accidents put together."
He states that he hopes that this message will become the battle-cry of the African Ministers' Council on Water (AMCOW).
"I urge you to remind all the world's leaders that as Africans we have been robbed of water, robbed of life and that democracy itself is imperilled."
He continues that, it used to be unfashionable for governments to take responsibility for water however; this is no longer the case.
Water was even the butt of jokes few analysts forget Mark Twain's famous remark, "Whisky is for drinking and water is for fighting over."
"Most decision-makers now fully appreciate the interconnectedness of water to the developmental challenge, and very few laugh at Twain's remark because in many parts of Africa, water is truly for fighting over," he adds.
He further continues that too often, however, even after the spending on water infrastructure rollout, we see very little financial resources omitted to the maintenance of the very infrastructure and water schemes. In the consequence, risks to the schemes, to the water safety and consequently to health mount, despite significant investments of taxation, borrowings or grant aid sunk into water schemes.
In South Africa, however, the Department of Water Affairs is allocated a rate and distinct privilege of having a budget that is larger than that of her colleague in the Defence ministry. Yet, even here, there are examples of dams that are brimming, but communities in the immediate vicinity of these dams remain un-served.
"One of the biggest challenges facing all of us in the developing world is the rate of unplanned urbanisation, it is very clear that the poor will not remain trapped in rural poverty, on unproductive dry land. One of the immediate responsibilities that arise from this is the provision of adequate sanitation.
The World Health Organisation estimates that there are some 2,6 billion people worldwide who do not have adequate sanitation they do not even have proper sanitation that prevent wastes from spreading into the environment.
He however, carries saddened news to all African Water Ministers, stating that, there is little to suggest that the situation will improve in the short term. Climate change, however, does not affect the temperature alone, but also rain, which leads to storms and everything else to do with weather.
Compounding this problem is the El Nino which will bring exceedingly heavy rains, and when they do arrive, will result in floods, destruction of crops, livestock, infrastructure and homes.
"We should haul out the past commitments we made and bring back into play the commitment to partnership and interdependence that defined the Monterrey Consensus of March 2002. Let us remind ourselves and the world that we took the principles of partnership and interdependence forward with our collective commitment to the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), where the 'P' is the same as the partnership agreed to at Monterrey.
And then, let the world’s leaders together proclaim that behavioural change is necessary and will be costly," he concludes.
For further information:
Themba Khumalo
Media Liaison
Tel: 082 802 3432
E-mail: khumalot@dwaf.gov.za
Mava Scott
Chief Director: Communication
Tel: 082 411 9821
E-mail: scottm@dwaf.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Water Affairs
11 November 2009
