What if this was the last drop? It’s not all about flushing”
Honourable Speaker of the National Assembly
Honourable Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee and Committee members
Honourable Members of Parliament
Cabinet Colleagues
Chairpersons and CEs of Water Boards and other Water Sector Entities
Honoured Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Sixty years ago, the people of South Africa from all walks of life gathered in Kliptown to adopt the Freedom Charter, a document that pronounced that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and that no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of all the people. This august body can, indeed, now attest that the will of the people has been achieved through the democratic process.
A year ago in pursuit of the ideals enshrined in the Freedom Charter, the National Development Plan was adopted as a program that was to take South Africa forward towards radical socio-economic transformation.
In the Vision Statement, the National Development Plan recounts the story of the journey the country shall have travelled by 2030. The eloquence of the story is not only captured in the pain, anguish, exhilaration and triumphs of the journey, but also in the poetic execution thereof; and in part says: We have received the mixed legacy of inequalities in opportunity and in where we have lived, but we have agreed to change our narrative of conquest, oppression and resistance …
We felt our way towards a new sense of ourselves:
- Trying, succeeding and making mistakes
- Proclaiming success and closing our minds to failure
- Feeling orientated and disorientated through our own actions
- Affirming some realities and denying others
- Proclaiming openness to the world, yet courting insularity
- Eager to live together, yet finding it difficult to recognise shared burdens
- Learning to recognise and acknowledge shared successes
Our new story is open ended with temporary destinations, only for new paths to open up once more.
It is a story of unfolding learning.
Even when we flounder, we remain hopeful.
In this story, we always arrive and depart.
We have come some way.
In the quest for giving impetus to the National Development Plan, the 5th Administration of the democratic dispensation found it befitting to establish a new Department of Water and Sanitation to ensure that the ideals of the Freedom Charter are realised, especially Clause 9, that says: There Shall be Houses, Security and Comfort.
In this regard, Houses: speak to the issue of integrated and sustainable human settlements, progressive spatial development and the building of strong local government. Security: addresses the issues related to food security, public safety and living free from discrimination. And lastly, Comfort speak to the absence of conflicts, access to water and sanitation as well as access to equal opportunities, inclusion and redress.
Chairperson, as guided by the National Development Plan, ANC manifesto, the second National Water Resource Strategy, we will continue to apply a seamless integrated approach to managing our water resources. This is a co-ordinated approach that is inter-dependent and inter-related to other Departments at National level, other spheres of government, the private sector, civil society, and to the people.
In addition, this approach will ensure that we provide a sustainable and holistic value chain of water supply, from source to tap and from tap back to source.
Partial review since the last speech
Honourable Speaker and Members,
Since our last address on the budget vote, the Department has worked closely with the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) and National Treasury to develop the Back to Basics Programme to address challenges faced by local government, strengthening municipalities and instilling a sense of urgency towards improving citizens lives. Clear benchmarks of acceptable performance have been set in an effort to ensure that all municipalities perform their basic responsibilities consistently and without fail.
Whilst the Back to Basics Programme is focussed on 27 District Municipalities, I will highlight some of the interventions we have made:
- The department has been tasked by the Presidential Infrastructure Co-ordinating Committee (PICC) to intervene where there is critical failure by local government to deliver water services. These interventions shall be on a case-by case basis in accordance with legislation in order to safeguard the well-being of our communities.
- In partnership with the Provincial Governments of the Eastern Cape and North West, we have intervened in municipalities which have been placed under Administration; in Makana Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape and the Madibeng Local Municipality and Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality in North West.
- An important element of these interventions has been the successful use of the Water Boards of Amatola, Magalies, and Sedibeng, respectively, to supplement the capacity of the Department to improve operational performance and build new infrastructure where necessary.
- In the Limpopo Province, Lepelle Northern Water has been appointed by our Department as an Implementing Agent for the Mopani District Municipality Revitalisation Programme, which includes various Water Treatment Works, Waste Water Treatment Works, boreholes and pipelines.
- In Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, through Rand Water, we executed an emergency intervention to solve operational problems which were causing water shortages and also accelerate the implementation of water reticulation infrastructure.
In each of the identified municipalities, qualified and experienced personnel are being deploy to work and implement a Road Map for a “Water Secure and Safe Sanitation Future” using budgets pooled from National, Provincial governments and from the affected municipalities.
Honourable Speaker, Members, we continue to search for solutions to better the life of communities, especially women. In this regard I’m pleased to announce that we have intervened in places like Kwa-Mhlaba Uyalingana, for an example, to ensure that u’maDlamini would no longer share water with animals or walk bare-footed and pregnant to fetch water in the river, but also enjoy the water from the Jozini dam next to her village.
This is part of the process of turning single-purpose into multi-purposed dams across the country. We have noted that there exists a persistent threat to our infrastructure as a result of vandalism and criminality. We shall continue to take steps to protect our water and sanitation infrastructure to ensure continued delivery of services. We have also continued our engagements with society in general and through co-operation with the colleagues at provincial and local government as well as the law enforcement agencies to look into all aspects and acts of corruption within our sector.
The Water and Sanitation Revolution
As we move forward to improve the delivery of service to our people we shall pursue the following Strategic Priorities:
- Water Resource Management
- Water Infrastructure Development
- Water and Sanitation Services, and
- The exercise of regulatory and policy responsibilities
In order to achieve these Strategic Priorities we have realised that there is a need for increased impetus and pace. This calls for a revolution, a Water and Sanitation Revolution to reclaim and better manage our water in order to tackle the triple challenges of inequality, poverty and unemployment.
The key pillars of this revolution are
- Water Conservation and Demand Management
- Improving the Water Mix
- Transformation
The first pillar of “Water Conservation and Demand Management”, shall involve the use of innovation and regulation to reclaim the water that is already developed and available for use.
- We shall work with all stakeholders to implement water conservation measures to effect a paradigm shift in the way society treats this scarce resource.
- We shall seek to move our sanitation systems from highly wasteful water-borne sewerage to low-water and no-water solutions. In these efforts, we shall collaborate with agencies such as the National Homebuilders Registration Council (NHBRC) to review regulations to reduce the size of toilet cisterns. These innovations can serve to promote new industries and economic opportunities.
- The need for a systems change as we move from highly centralised, expensive wastewater treatment dominance to one that has a combination of centralised and localised waste treatment
- The necessity of a movement from high-energy waste treatment and technologies to low-energy using and actually energy producing waste treatment systems
The second pillar, “Improving the Water Mix”, involves the increased use of a variety of water sources in addition to our current reliance on surface water. These shall include
- Groundwater
- Water harvesting
- Water-recycling
- The re-use of treated acid mine water
The third and last pillar is “Transformation” of the sector in order to improve access to water resources as follows:
- By improving the capacity of the state to better license the use of water
- By attracting and developing the skills required in the sector as well as transfer of skills and knowledge as we doing with the Cuban Knowledge and Skills Transfer Project.
- Becoming more people-centred. The promotion of community social mobilisation will be at the centre of every programme we intend to implement
- Supporting new ideas arising from the Young Smart Mindz initiative at the Innovation Hub in Tshwane; such as those of Paseka Moemise Lesolang’s solution for retro-fitting cisterns to reduce amount of water used for flushing
- Promoting knowledge-based solutions through the work done by the Water Research Commission and other research institutions.
These initiatives shall be carried-out in programmes and projects which shall be implemented through-out the financial year as detailed below.
Honourable Members, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Department of Water and Sanitation presents today a total budget of R16 446 530 000 – 00 (16 billion, four-hundred and forty-six million, five-hundred and thirty-thousand Rand). The breakdown of this budget per programme/branch is as follows:
- Programme 1: Administration: R1 526 167 000 - 00 (One billion five-hundred and twenty-six million one hundred and sixty-seven thousand Rand)
- Programme 2: Water Planning and Information Management: R808 655 000 – 00 (Eight-hundred and eight million six-hundred and fifty-five million Rand). Examples are feasibility study for uMkhomazi project and the Lusikisiki surface and ground water study
- Programme 3: Water Infrastructure Development: R12 435 787 (Twelve billion four-hundred and thirty-five million rand, seven-hundred and eighty-seven thousand Rand): Examples are Mzimvubu, Clanwilliam, Hazelmere, Tzaneen/Nwamitwa, , Vaal Gamagara, Gariep Augmentation, and the Olifants bulk distribution system
- Programme 4: Water and Sanitation Services: R1 444 582 (One billion four-hundred and forty-four million, five-hundred and eighty-two million Rand) Examples are rain water harvesting and support to Resource-Poor farmers
- Programme 5: Water Sector Regulations: R231 339 000 – 00 (Two-hundred and thirty-one million three-hundred and thirty-nine thousand Rand) Examples are establishment of catchment management agencies and support to water institutions such as water boards
On the other hand, understanding that the municipalities are at the coal face of service delivery, we will continue to support the local government through the Water Services Infrastructure programmes of:
- Municipal Water Infrastructure Grant to the tune of R2 595 661 000 -00 (Two billion five-hundred and ninety-five million six-hundred and sixty-one thousand rand)
- Accelerated Community Infrastructure Programme to the amount of R253 757 000 - 00 (Two-hundred and fifty-three million seven-hundred and fifty-seven thousand rand)
- Regional Bulk Infrastructure Programme has been allocated R6 014 764 000 - 00 (Six billion and fourteen million seven-hundred and sixty-four thousand rand): 27 priority District Municipalities as well as strategic projects (e.g Sebokeng, Pilanesburg, Bushbuckridge, Sysferfontein, Lion’s Park)
- Water Services Operating Subsidy has an amount of R611 227 000 – 00 (Six-hundred and eleven million two-hundred and twenty-seven thousand rand)
- Water Services Projects to the tune of R209 377 000 – 00 (Two-hundred and nine million three-hundred and seventy-seven thousand rand).
- In order to ensure water security for all, we have to manage our water resources, conduct effective planning and regulation, and develop, operate, maintain the infrastructure.
Management of Water Resources for Water Security
In doing all the necessary forward strategic planning for the comprehensive management of our water resources, we shall prioritise the review and implementation of the National Water Resource Strategy II (NWRS - 2). This plan, shall be the guiding document for all stakeholders in the water sector in our pursuit of a prosperous future for all.
It shall address the various issues affecting the access to the resource and particularly, it shall also review the pace of transformation of the patterns of access to water resources for the previously-disadvantaged across the various sectors of the nation.
Accordingly, the following sub-programmes are receiving priority attention:
- The National Integrated Water Information System (NIWIS) to improve decision-making and improve access for the public
- Water allocation reform: the Validation and Verification of current licensed water usage shall be accelerated
- Water Use Licensing: We have structured our water use license process to be within 300 days, whilst the internal appeals to the Minister must be finalised within 90 days of receipt of appeals.
Planning and regulation for the future
The department’s commitment to effective planning and regulation in the sector is unwavering:
- The department continues to plan and conduct feasibility studies on a continuous basis.
- For 2015/16 we have initiated a project to review and optimise the water resources monitoring networks.
- We are also reviewing and rationalising the water institutions and the structure of the department in line with the new mandate as per the NDP.
- On sanitation the department will revise the industry norms and standards for sanitation, and introduce measures at regulating cost of sanitation solutions.
- We have completed our National Water Amendment Act 27 of 2014 process which streamlined legislation with those of the Departments of Mineral Resources and Environmental Affairs in order creating regulatory certainty on water use authorisation. This will definitely spur economic growth and investor confidence in South Africa.
- The revision of the water pricing strategy is essential to address the socio-economic needs of the country, as well as equity across the water value chain.
- We will be gazetting a notice to declare hydraulic fracturing as a controlled activity and the development of the requisite regulatory tools primarily aimed at protecting the water resources.
- We have also in the meantime gazetted regulations on the metering of water for irrigation purposes for public comment.
Infrastructure development
Chairperson and Honourable Members,
Beyond the above strategic planning, water resource management, and regulatory activities, the department continues to build and support the building of new infrastructure to augment existing schemes and to develop new resources altogether for various uses. We mention a few:
- The raising of the Clanwilliam Dam wall in the Western Cape, at a projected cost of R2.4 billion, has already commenced and is due for completion in 2018.
- In Kwa-Zulu Natal’s Mdloti Development Project, the Hazelmere Dam wall will be raised at a cost of R528 million for the growing demand in the eThekwini and Ilembe District Municipalities.
- The Groot Letaba River Water Development Project in Limpopo Province is under planning. It consists of the construction of a dam at Nwamitwa, and the regional bulk distribution of water for domestic use for approximately 425 000 affected people in the Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality.
- The Luvuvhu River Government Water Scheme (Nandoni Bulk Water Supply) is being commissioned in stages to supply proximately 800 000 people in 380 communities in the Thohoyandou and Malamulele areas of Limpopo.
We also have a number of projects implemented by the Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) such as the Mokolo Crocodile Water Augmentation Project which supports mining in the Waterberg coal fields of the Limpopo Province, and the Acid Mine Drainage re-use project in Gauteng. This phased project involves the treatment of acid mine water from the reef and selling it to industry for re-use. The first phase, in the Central Basin has been completed, and we await proposals for new technologies for operations and management. Construction of the next phase, in the Eastern Basin, is due to commence during 2015.
Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant (RBIG)
Pursuant to our mandate, we continue to support the building of water distribution infrastructure through this programme to the total amount of over R6 billion in the 2015/16 financial year.
These projects support local government in bringing water from the source closer to the people such as in the Presidential Intervention Project for Mthatha Town in King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape; the bulk water supply for the Moses Kotane and Rustenburg in the North-West; Jozini-Ingwavuma water project for the Jozini Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal.
Mzimvubu Multi-Purpose Development Project
Madame Speaker, Honourable Members,
Since our previous speech, we have made progress in developing the infrastructure in this strategic resource:
- The inter-agency Programme Management Office, in line with the PICC project management model has been established. Its purpose is to formalise the governance of the socio-economic revitalisation of the Mzimvubu River basin and surrounding areas.
- Preliminary estimates indicate that the project will cost R20 billion for building a dam at Ntabelanga site, the Laleni hydropower scheme, bulk water infrastructure, infield irrigation infrastructure, access roads, and the costs of land acquisition and catchment rehabilitation.
Lesotho Highlands Water Project Phase II
The Lesotho Highlands Water Project Phase II Water Transfer has started in earnest since we gave the directive for the work to commence in December 2014.
Government’s priority is ensure that the development of this project is in the best interest of the peoples of the Kingdom of Lesotho and South Africa. It is government’s intent to ensure that the project creates a sustainable legacy in the form of capacity of local businesses, skills development, local infrastructure, and local ability to manage the infrastructure into the future.
Sanitation Infrastructure
In our quest to address the sanitation backlog, our priority is the complete eradication of the use of bucket toilets across the country in formal areas by the end of December 2015. In the 2014/15 Financial Year, the Bucket Eradication Programme eradicated 20 560 bucket toilets. Through this Programme, the remaining bucket toilets will be eradicated at cost of R975 million.
Through the Rural Household Infrastructure Grant, the department delivered 9347 dry on-site sanitation solutions to rural communities. In 2015/16, some R115 million will be invested to deliver a further 11 000 units.
Management of Water Resources Infrastructure
Chairperson and Honourable Members,
The department is committed to the sustainable management of water infrastructure assets.
The Dam Safety Rehabilitation Programme (DSRP) will see a cumulative total of 44 dams to be fully rehabilitated by the end of the 2015/16 financial year. This is in line with the Dam Safety Regulations which require dam owners to maintain the infrastructure and mitigate the risk of dam failure.
International Water Cooperation: Water knows no Boundaries
Chairperson and Honourable Members,
As a country we are part of the family of nations. As such our membership of regional, continental and multi-lateral bodies dictates that we give due and proper considerations within those spaces.
The world will be taking stock of the progress around the Millennium Development Goals and charting a way forward with the new Post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals in September 2015 at the United Nations General Assembly. By 2010 South Africa had met almost all targets of the MDG -water at 88.3% and sanitation at 78% coverage. Our current focus is on the difference and the sustainability of what has been delivered.
In line with our regional and international responsibilities in the water sector, we have entered into collaborative relationships with the following countries: Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, DRC, Swaziland to mention a few in the region. And globally these countries are Cuba, Iran, China, Denmark, Russia, Mexico, South Korea, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands and Japan.
Concluding remarks
Chairperson and Honourable Members, we have worked hard to ensure that women, like umaDlamini from Umkhanyakude and the old lady from Giyani, cease to be victims of indecent assault and humiliation through bringing dignified sanitation and quality water within their reach.
Through the work of the department uma-Dlamini is now able to participate in activities of building better communities because she now gets water closer to the house and sanitation facilities are also available.
Recently, during our Sanitation Indaba in Durban, we visited three sites dealing with sanitation. At one of the sites in Inanda Ward 55, the community sang praises in honour of their councillor Vusumuzi Gebashe for giving attention to their sanitation needs and working together with them. This is a good example of how the ward councillor and the community can work together to resolve the challenges of water and sanitation. At the other site in Newlands a young black lady Chemical Engineer, Lungi Zuma, led a team of scientists from various countries on the continent and Europe that explores alternative sanitation technologies.
The Madibeng intervention was preceded by an initiative in Majakaneng, by the Premier of North West and I, that established the first community water forum to bring communities into addressing water issues. We hope to roll out this approach through-out the country. We want to applaud South Africans young and old, who are spreading the message of preserving this scare resource as water ambassadors. Let us have one message, but many voices.
We wish to plead with communities that in the spirit of building a prosperous future, users should pay for the services they receive. This is what nation-building and social development is about.
In the same breath, I wish to appeal to the members to desist from politicising the issues of water and sanitation; water is life and sanitation is dignity. Let us have a rational and unemotional engagement on the matter to ensure that we put our people first before our political flags.
On a more somber note, let me take this opportunity to state that news of the passing-on last week of one of our stalwarts of struggle, Mme Ruth Mompati was received with shock and trepidation. We dip our revolutionary banner in her honour and convey our deepest and heartfelt condolences to her family and the rest of South Africa. She was a woman of valour, high moral rectitude and many skills. We shall sorely miss her.
As I mentioned in the address of the Budget for 2014/15 last year, ours is a mandate that we are very intent on bringing to life. I therefore wish to take this time to thank the Deputy Minister, the Honourable Chair and Members of the Portfolio Committee, the Director-General, Senior Management and staff of the Department of Water and Sanitation, the Entities and Water and Sanitation Sector Partners for all their continued invaluable support.
Chairperson and Honourable Members, we will always value your oversight and demand for accountability.
Ours is to do what we have to, but remain conscious of the confines and parameters of the relevant legislation. The achievements of our government, guided by the Constitution, the New Growth Path and the National Development Plan remain paramount.
As we move South Africa forward let us recall the words of the founding father of our democracy, Nelson Mandela, in a document titled “Why Advocate for water, sanitation and hygiene?” where he said: “Sanitation is more important than independence.”
There is no substitute for water.
Dankie.
Ngiyabonga
Enquiries:
Sputnik Ratau
Cell: 082 874 2942
