Programme director;
Mayor of Emfuleni Local Municipality, Cllr Greta Hlongwane;
Acting Executive Mayor of Sedibeng District Municipality: Cllr Simon Maphalla;
MMC for Project Management and Public Works: Fezile Dabi District Municipality: Cllr Lucy Hlapane;
Representative from the Free State Department of Education;
CEO of Water Research Council: Dhesigen Naidoo
Executive Director of Sasol Limited, Ms Nolitha Fakude;
Senior Government officials;
Sasol colleagues;
Distinguished guests;
Members of the media;
Ladies and gentlemen;
Good morning.
This august event of the launch of the SASOL Water Sense Initiative takes place just on the eve of Freedom Day. Government continues to make strides in ensuring that South Africans both young and old enjoys the benefits of this freedom. As we celebrate this freedom we remain steadfast in ensuring that all citizens are afforded access to clean drinking water and that they are liberated from the shackles of poverty.
Programme director, allow me to pay tribute to our heroes and heroines who dedicated their lives to the struggle to liberate this country, Isithalandwe Olivier Reginald Tambo, Tata Nelson Mandela, Chris Hani, Charlotte Maxeke, Lilian Ngoyi, Bertha Qgowa and many others.
The United Nations General Assembly declared 2013 as the year of International Water Cooperation. This further gives impetus to our partnership with Sasol on Water Conservation and Demand Management which heralds a new era in the fight against water loss, hence it is said that water conservation is everybody‘s business.
To this end, through the Water Sense Initiative, Sasol has indeed heeded the call made by the Honourable President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency, Jacob Zuma that private sector have a responsibility to partner with government to solve challenges faced by our society. You have supported the notion that government cannot do it alone.
The Department of Water Affairs has been extensively engaging with Business/Corporate to create private/public partnerships platforms for business to support and invest in municipal infrastructure to reduce water risks. Sasol has indeed taken forward the call and have partnered with Emfuleni Local Municipality focusing on initiatives to reduce water loss in prioritised areas, education and awareness in the community and schools with regards to water conservation issues and on the development of new or support of existing community plumbing entities.
The cumulative savings that will be realized through these initiatives are expected to trigger reinvestment in the water conservation activities of Emfuleni Local Municipality. Furthermore, positive results are envisaged with respect to job creation for unemployed youths.
Working together with municipalities and the private sector, the department continues to implement 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.
On the same breadth, the Department of Water Affairs maintains the focus on meeting water loss reduction targets, managing South Africa’s scarce water resources for long-term sustainability, improving the regulatory and institutional environment, spearheading transformation in the water sector and supporting the development of water resources infrastructure.
Urgent attention and efforts needs to be geared towards promoting water efficient practices in all sectors in order to prevent the repercussions of a serious water crisis which will be exacerbated by the effects of global warming and climate change.
Through our public awareness and education we are implementing the 2020 Vision Programme which is a school based and community outreach programme. This programme continues to educate grades R to12 learners about integrated water resource management, climate change and environment including water related careers.
The efficient water use ensures a reliable supply, which in turn improves the quality of life of all South Africans, and promotes local economic development.
The economic benefits are a reduction in loss and wastefulness. This adds to the saving on the costs of providing new infrastructure to treat and prepare more water.
The Department of Water Affairs adopted the Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) approach, which provides a more holistic approach to water management. The IWRM requires intensive planning to ensure efficient, equitable and sustainable management of water resources.
Programme director, today also marks the formalisation of the partnership between Sasol Technology and the Water Research Commission (WRC) which will see both parties collaborate on finding new technologies and opportunities to conserve water in South Africa.
The development of products and services for economic development is an area in which the Water Research Commission has been involved for 42 years, and this partnership will galvanise Sasol’s expertise in water and the WRC’s expertise in water Research and Development to form the ultimate water-energy nexus for the South African water and energy sectors!
Sasol Technology will offer the use of some of their Research and Development (R&D) Piloting facilities in Sasolburg and Secunda to researchers and academics from the WRC for research in conjunction with Sasol Technology teams. This partnership will fortify the WRC’s science, technology and innovation partnership to ensure a higher input of knowledge and workable technologies to empower Responsible Water Citizenship at all levels to ensure a Water Successful Future for our beautiful country. The WRC can also be sure of constant support from the DWA to guarantee the right partnership formula to ensure its sustainability.
This partnership will also see the creation of a Joint Research Commission (JRC) which will oversee and monitor the partnership and seek out new opportunities for collaboration on other water conservation matters.
Let me end by the words articulated by the President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency Jacob Zuma during his response to the debate on the state of the nation address,
I quote.
“As we move to the 20th anniversary of freedom, there should emerge a common thread of patriotism that binds us. We should put South Africa first. All of us have a patriotic duty and responsibility to build and promote our country. Rhetoric and grandstanding is a luxury the country cannot afford.”
Working together with the Municipalities, private sector, NGO’s, churches and other entities in the country we will be able to reduce water loss by half in 2014.
As government we will continue to protect and conserve this precious resource.
We will not rest until a water saving culture is instilled on every citizen. We aspire a culture that would advocate that every drop counts!!!!
I thank you.
