Question No 24
Ms N D Ntwanambi (ANC-WC) to ask the Deputy President:
Whether any part of the R300 billion that the government has been spending annually on infrastructure investment includes investment in ensuring the supply and preservation of (a) clean water, (b) water storage and (c) distribution, especially in clearing out our national water infrastructure backlog in communities of the rural areas and townships of Limpopo, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga that have been battling with drought, inconsistent water supply, contaminated water and/or still use natural water streams and dams; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
Honourable members, as with many other basic services, the provision of water to the people of South Africa is severely influenced by the application of unequal policies in the past. Some rural communities are in the catchment areas for water supplies to the big cities but although they watch the water being piped off to the cities, they do not have access to potable water themselves.
We now look at managing water in its entirety in our Water for Growth and Development Framework - a sector approach to Water Management instead of Water Resources and Water Services as separate disciplines.
While water rights was the term used in the old Water Act, of 1956, the current National Water Act, 1998 refers to the term as water use entitlements.
The Act makes provision for rural communities to apply for a water use license. This replaces the riparian rights principle (which excluded an estimated 90% of blacks from obtaining water) that was the basis of the 1956 Water Act.
With regard to your question honourable member, the answer is yes, the Department of Water Affairs through its Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant and Accelerated Community Infrastructure Programmes is investing up to R5 billion over the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) to reduce the current backlog in the supply of bulk potable water for socio-economic and development needs in all provinces of South Africa.
Honourable Ntwanambi asks specifically about the rural areas and townships of Limpopo, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga.
Starting with Mpumalanga, government is attempting to address the challenge by installing water treatment package plants in five communities; namely; Ntunda, Louville, Skhwahlane, Brooklyn and Draaikraal.
During my visit to the Mpumalanga province, on 30 October 2010, I opened a two mega litre package plant in the Ntunda Village at a cost of R2.8 million and a pipeline to reservoirs costing R1.4 million. This project now supplies potable water to the Ntunda and Skhwahlane Villages to at least 7 000 people.
The Department of Water Affairs has through the Bulk Infrastructure Grant in the Limpopo province allocated an amount of R228 million in the 2009/10 financial year for funding nine water supply projects. An additional allocation of R28, 66 million in the 2010/11 financial year from the Community Infrastructure Programme ensures that reticulation takes place in the municipalities.
In the Eastern Cape R23 million has been invested for the supply of water and addressing water pollution related issues, while in the Northern Cape a total of R8.37 million has been invested in three municipalities in the Northern Cape waste water and sewerage pump stations refurbishment and water supply.
A number of municipalities have been declared as drought stricken areas in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Limpopo provinces late 2009. These provinces in consultation with the affected municipalities have conducted assessments to quantify the needs and the resources required to bring about drought relief. The Inter-Ministerial Committee approved a sum of:
- R86.857 million for the Eastern Cape province
- R185,2 million for the Western Cape of which R53,7 million was transferred to the Western Cape during the November 2010 and a further amount of R141.5 million for the 2010/11 financial year
- R54 million for the Limpopo Province in January 2010. Funds were made available from 1 July 2010 (the beginning of the 2010/11 municipal financial year).
With regard to initiatives to address acid mine drainage, Cabinet appointed an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) to address the serious challenges related to the Acid Mine Drainage in the Witwatersrand. Subsequently, a team of experts was appointed and they presented their report to the IMC on 21 October 2010.
The IMC has asked the team of experts to look at the cost implications of their recommendations and other options to resolve Acid Mine Drainage.
I thank you.
Source: The Presidency
