Deputy Minister Hon. Pamela Tshwete at the Jojo Tanks water stations handover, Saldanah Bay Municipality
Programme Director
Councillors
Community Leaders
Acting Municipal Manager Provincial Head
Department Officials
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good morning
I would like to welcome you all today as we celebrate World Water Day, and as we are also gathered here to handover the water stations donated by the Jojo Tanks Company. I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart for this kind gesture and hope the Department of Water and Sanitation together with Jojo Tanks will continue to work together in ensuring that all South Africans have access to water. This is only befitting as the theme for the World Water Day 2019 is “Leaving no one behind: Water for All” which highlights that improvement in water resources management plus access to water supply and sanitation services are paramount to overcoming poverty. World Water Day is observed annually on 22 March, to draw attention on the importance of freshwater and advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. World Water Day falls within the National Water Week, which this year has been celebrated from the 18th and will continue until the 24th March 2019.
The World Water Day is an initiative that the United Nations leads, calling for governments around the world to implement long-term actions to ensure that everyone in the world has access to water by 2030. That is why it is important to note that this is a much needed but temporary intervention to assist with the water problems in this area. On the 8th September 2018 I visited Vredenburg as I had been newly deployed, by the African National Congress, to this constituency. It was only then that I discovered the water supply situation in all the Wards that have informal settlements. There were requests made for assistance and other support from these various communities. Site inspections were conducted to determine the needs of the infrastructure project, and it was highly evident that the residents in all the informal settlements of Saldanah Bay Municipality are in desperate need of water and sanitation services. According to the study and report the area of Bhekela was identified as that one that needed to be prioritised as per the number of donated tanks. Please note that I am aware of the recommended number of water stations needed to alleviate the water shortages, and also note that the donor could assist with those tanks for now and the department is not in a financial position to buy either. Masibuleleni oko esikuphiweyo kuba isiXhosa sithi ucuntsu akafani noshici. We then need to all work together and find solutions to the problem.
I would like to urge the beneficiaries to strengthen their efforts in saving water and re-using water for watering the gardens among other purposes. Every rainfall should be seen as an opportunity to save water. It is also important for all of us to remember that vandalism of infrastructure is undesirable. It is therefore mandatory upon all of us to ensure the continued protection of these Jojo tanks donated today so that they can come back and assist in the near future. On the 8thMay 2019 you have a democratic opportunity to vote for the people that have shown that they can listen to your problems and make immediate interventions. If I did not visit Vredenburg in September 2018 then I would have never known about the water problems experienced here, as the whole country has been made to believe that the “best performing municipality of Saldanah Bay does not have such problems”. Thank you once again to Jojo Tanks and I hope your good work does not end here but continues to spread and make a difference in more projects like these. Let us all continue to work together in achieving more with little. Thuma Mina
I thank you
