Question 212
Mr M J R de Villiers (DA-WC) to ask the Minister of Basic Education:
Whether her department has any plans in place to address the problem of insufficient water supply to schools in Limpopo; if not, (a) why not, (b) which schools' problems will be addressed and (c) when will this problem be addressed; if so, (i) what plans and (ii) what are the further relevant details?
Reply:
(a) Yes. The Limpopo Department of Education has identified schools in the province that have no water facilities and those that have insufficient facilities in their Infrastructure Plan for 2010/11. The provincial department is responsible for the capital works and recapitalisation of water supply systems. It plans to spend two percent of the infrastructure budget each year on providing or rehabilitating water supply to schools. After the provision of water supply systems by the Provincial department, repairs to the water system is the responsibility of each school governing body using their allocation in terms of the national norms and standards for school funding?
(b) Since 2006 the provincial department has completed water projects at 345 schools and a further 113 will be provided with water in this financial year.
(c) The provincial department plans to complete 113 water projects at schools during the 2010/11 financial year. Limpopo schools are provided with municipal supplies or boreholes and with rainwater harvesting as a backup supply. The municipality is responsible for water delivery in the dry months or at any other time when the borehole is dry. At primary schools, where the borehole yield is too low for it to be cost effective to fit a submersible electric pump, the charity roundabout international is approached to fit the borehole with a play pump. The donation includes maintenance for 10 years.
Source: Department of Education (http://www.education.gov.za/)
