Question NW3065 to the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation
16 December 2020 - NW3065
Mohlala, Ms MR to ask the Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation
In light of the fact that water resources management in the Republic is reliant on the ability of establishing catchment management agencies to devolve resource management from national to regional, what are the reasons that the Republic only has two established catchment management agencies?
Reply:
The Department of Water and Sanitation had initially planned to establish nineteen (19) Catchment Management Agencies (CMAs) but this number was later rationalised to nine (9) in March 2012.
In line with the 2013 Presidential Review Committee on State-owned Entities, the DWS has continued to review institutional arrangements for water sector entities, taking into account a number of principles in analysing the options to improve operational efficiencies and reduce costs through consolidation and rationalisation of CMAs.
I have therefore recently approved a reconfiguration and establishment of six (6) CMAs as follows:
- Inkomati-Pongola.
- Breede-Gouritz-Olifants.
- Limpopo-Olifants.
- Mhlatuze-Umzimkhulu.
- Vaal-Orange.
- Mzimvubu-Tsitsikama.
Further, I have appointed Advisory Committees for the Breede-Gouritz-Olifants, Limpopo-Olifants, Mhlatuze-Umzimkhulu and Vaal-Orange CMAs in terms of section 81(3) of the National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998). The responsibility of the Advisory Committees is to recommend a list of organs of state and bodies representing different sectors within the Water Management Areas of the CMAs which should be represented on the Governing Boards of the proposed CMAs.