Hansard: NCOP: Debate on Water Management and Resources: Advancing national water resource management for sustainable water supply to our people
House: National Council of Provinces
Date of Meeting: 16 Nov 2011
Summary
No summary available.
Minutes
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Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 478
THURSDAY, 17 NOVEMBER 2011
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
The Council met at 14:08.
The Deputy Chairperson took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON
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START OF DAY
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON: Hon members, may I take this opportunity to introduce our visitors in the gallery. We have hon Woodhams, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in Australia; hon Sutherland, member for Mount Lawley; hon Logan, member for Cockburn; and Mr McHugh, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Parliament of Western Australia. [Applause.] You are welcome.
NOTICES OF MOTION
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The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON
NOTICES OF MOTION
Mr M P SIBANDE: Deputy Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting of the Council I shall move on behalf of the ANC:
That the Council-
(1) takes cognisance of the findings of the Human Rights Watch some time ago regarding the dop system and the living and working conditions on farms in the Western Cape;
(2) notes that the Human Rights Watch, in its briefing of the parliamentary Committee for Labour and Agriculture last week, revealed that the dop system is still being used by some farmers in the Western Cape as a method of payment or payment for overtime;
(3) also notes the poor living and working conditions of farm workers in the Western Cape, where some workers live in converted pigsties, while others have no access to electricity or clean water, and that there are widespread cases of abuse, exploitation and human rights violation;
(4) takes this opportunity to condemn these unlawful practices and abuse with utter dismay; and
(5) calls on the Ministers of Labour and Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and their departments to launch a comprehensive investigation into this abuse and unlawful practices and take harsh action against the perpetrators.
Mr D B FELDMAN
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Mr M P SIBANDE
Mr D B FELDMAN: Hon Deputy Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the Council I shall move on behalf of Cope:
That the Council-
(1) debates the delayed action by the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal to sort out his provincial government which has failed the poor for too long;
(2) also debates the premier's admission that KwaZulu-Natal's Human Settlements and Public Works MEC, Maggie Govender, and Agriculture and Rural Development MEC, Lydia Johnson, have failed to deliver basic services to the poor;
(3) notes that the former MEC, Maggie Govender, failed to provide houses to the desperate, poor and needy people, which resulted in KwaZulu-Natal losing R200 million in housing grants;
(4) also notes the unacceptability of the fact that Govender and Johnson will continue as members of the legislature; and
(5) further notes that we, as Cope, hereby urgently ask the government to tackle political appointments head-on and ensure that skilled and willing people are employed in that province.
Mr D A WORTH
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Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 478
Mr D B FELDMAM
Mr D A WORTH: Deputy Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting of the Council I shall move on behalf of the DA:
That the Council-
(1) notes that on Tuesday 20 people, including two young children, were killed in a horrific, multivehicle accident on the N1 near prince Albert;
(2) also notes that the DA, on behalf of the Council, extends its condolences to all the families and friends who lost loved ones in this gruesome accident; and
(3) asks everyone on the roads, particularly over the December holiday period, to drive within the speed limit and obey the rules of the road and please arrive alive.
Mr W F FABER
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Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 478
Mr D A WORTH
Mr W F FABER: Madam Deputy Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting of the Council I shall move on behalf of the DA:
That the Council-
(1) debates the fact that Julius Malema still benefits from continuous tenders;
(2) notes that the contract benefiting suspended ANC Youth League President, Julius Malema, cannot be cancelled because that would have serious legal implications, so said the Public Protector's spokesman on Wednesday;
(3) further notes that Kgalalelo Masibi said there could be possible unintended consequences by suspending it entirely in its binding agreement;
(4) also notes that the contract has only been running for two years, and Public Protector Thuli Madonsela met with the Limpopo Roads and Transport Department on Wednesday and one portion of the contract was suspended;
(5) notes even further that both parties agreed to suspend one aspect of the contract, that is, the participation of On-Point Engineering in the bid evaluation committee, until the investigation is concluded in her office
(6) recognises that On-Point Engineering is partly owned by Malema's family Trust; and
(7) further recognises that Madonsela is probing claims that the Limpopo government awarded irregular tenders to On-Point Engineering, which benefit Malema.
Mr M J R DE VILLIERS
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Mr W F FABER
Mr M J R DE VILLIERS: Deputy Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting of the Council I shall move on behalf of the DA:
That the Council-
(1) notes that crime in South Africa is one of the breaking-down factors in the economic growth of our country;
(2) also notes that in 2007 the incidence of malicious damage to property per 100 000 of the population was 250,7; burglaries at residential premises was 495,5; and motor vehicle and motorcycle theft was 127, and this has a direct influence on the economy;
(3) further notes that, according to economists Eric Adler and Jose Cuesta in the Journal of International Development, the estimated cost of crime in South Africa amounted to US$22,1 billion, which is equal to R164 billion in 2007; and
(4) notes even further that I therefore request a debate on crime and how it influences poverty in South Africa.
Mr D JOSEPH
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Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 478
Mr M J R DE VILLIERS
Mr D JOSEPH: Deputy Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting of the Council I shall move on behalf of the DA:
That the Council-
(1) requests the government to identifies and deals with socioeconomic factors, like poverty, crime, vandalism and gangsterism at schools;
(2) recognises that many institution of learning have now become institutions of safety, therefore government must build more schools, as per the population's need and ensure that learners receive education in their preferred languages;
(3) ensures that the ratio of teachers per class is reviewed to ensure that quality education is promoted and that slower learners are supported with adaptation classes; and
(4) also ensures that school principals, teachers and curriculum advisors start a public participation process that will produce an educational system supported by technology and the best learning materials, which will decrease the gap between school and tertiary education and enable learners to contribute at all levels in South Africa and in the international arena.
Mr O DE BEER
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Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 478
Mr D JOSEPH
Mr O DE BEER: Deputy Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting of the Council I shall move on behalf of Cope:
That the Council-
(1) debates the opportunities for job creation offered by many large bulk ships and tankers passing this way to load on in Brazil and off Saldanha Bay that require dry docking;
(2) also debates the nonexistent docking facilities in the southern part;
(3) further debates the need to initiate construction of all terminals in Industrial Development Zones in Saldanha, which could create hundreds of jobs during their construction in the ship repair industry and other sectors; and
(4) debates even further the need for government to act in this regard before Namibia takes this opportunity form under our noses.
Mr K A SINCLAIR
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Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 478
Mr O DE BEER
Mr K A SINCLAIR: Deputy Chairperson, I hereby give notice that on the next sitting day of the Council I shall move on behalf of Cope:
That the Council-
(1) debates the devastation and hardship caused by a series of veld fires in the Northern Province, specifically in the Colesberg, Barkly West, Campbell and Mier districts;
(2) further debates the impending crisis facing citizens, especially the farming fraternity, in these areas, whereby almost 200 000 ha of veld have been destroyed, which led to the loss of important livestock and assets; and
(3) calls on government to act urgently and declare these affected areas disaster areas and put the necessary mechanisms in place to support and assist these farming communities financially, in order for them to overcome this dreadful disaster.
MOTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
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Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 479
NOTICES OF MOTION
DEATH OF SOLLY TYIBILIKA
(Draft Resolution)
Ms B V MNCUBE: Deputy Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the Council-
(1) notes with a great sense of loss and shock the brutal murder of former Springbok flanker, Solly Tyibilika, who was shot and killed in Gugulethu on Saturday after two men opened fire in a tavern;
(2) further notes that Tyibilika grew up in the Eastern Cape and played for the Southern Kings squad that played against the British nad Irish Lions during their tour to South Africa in 2009, and that he also played for the Sharks, the Lions and the Springboks, where he was capped eight times;
(3) further notes that Tyibilika made his debut for the Springboks in November 2004 in a match against Scotland, which South Africa won 45-10, and also played in the 2005 Tri-Nations series in a Test against the Wallabies at Ellis Park, which the Springboks won 33-20;
(4) conveys its condolences to the Tyibilika family and friends on the loss of a young and gifted son whose contribution and commitment to South Africa will forever be engraved in the history of the game of rugby; and
(5) calls on the police and anyone with information to ensure that those responsible for the brutal murder of Tyibilika are made to face the full might of the law.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
Mr T A MASHAMAITE
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Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 479
Ms B V MNCUBE
CLOSURE OF BAMBI CRÈCHE
(Draft Resolution)
Mr T A MASHAMAITE: Deputy Chair, I hereby move without notice:
That the Council-
(1) notes with utmost dismay and apprehension the decision of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology to terminate the lease of Bambi Crèche, which is one of the oldest and one of the few crèches that caters for the children of the poorest parents across the Central Business District of the City of Cape Town;
(2) further notes that the Bambi Crèche forms an important part of the transitional history of the City of Cape Town and has been in operation for over 17 years and was created to address the need for childcare facilities for poor workers and parents who work in the CBD, particularly domestic workers, cleaners, security guards and employees of the South African Police Services, and even the children of the parents of some of the cleaners, security personnel and administrative staff of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology;
(3) acknowledges that the closure of Bambi Crèche will not only result in the loss of employment for the staff of the crèche whose immediate and extended families rely on their sole income, but will also result in the parents of the children arriving late and ultimately facing unfortunate reprisals from the employers; and
(4) calls on the management of Cape Peninsula University of Technology and the Departments of Education and Labour to assist the parents, children and staff of Bambi Crèche who will fall victim to this inconsiderate decision to have their crèche closed down.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
Mrs B L ABRAHAMS
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Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 479
Mr T A MASHAMAITE
AFRIKAANS AS PREFERRED LANGUAGE FOR FURTHER STUDIES
(Draft Resolution)
Mev B L ABRAHAMS: Mnr die Adjunkvoorsitter, ek stel sonder kennisgewing voor:
Dat die Raad-
(1) kennis neem dat 'n meningsopname deur die Suid-Afrikaanse Onderwysersunie benadruk dat leerders by Afrikaans-medium skole hul verdere studie onderrig in Afrikaans sal verkies;
(2) verder kennis neem dat hierdie meningspeiling gedoen is omdat dit blyk dat Stellenbosch Universiteit toenemend Afrikaans se regmatige plek onderdruk;
(3) erken dat die peiling toon dat 90,4% in Gauteng, 100% in Mpumalanga, 92,7% in die Noord-Kaap, 81,7% in die Oos-Kaap, 56,6% in Kwa-Zulu Natal en 76,6% in die Wes-Kaap Afrikaans as onderrigtaal in verdere tersiêre onderrig verkies; en
(4) aldus voorstel dat moedertaal-onderrig in skole en universiteite debatteer word.
Mrs M C DIKGALE
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Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 479
Mrs B L ABRAHAMS
GREATER LETABA MUNICIPALITY INITIATIVE
(Draft Resolution)
Mrs M C DIKGALE: Deputy Chair, I hereby move without notice:
That the Council-
(1) notes the initiative of the Mayor of the Greater Letaba Municipality in Limpopo Province, Mr Godfrey Modjadji, that councillors dedicate two days every week to improve service delivery and the living conditions of the communities;
(2) notes that in terms of this initiative-
(a) councillors will on Mondays, and in addition to their normal functions and duties, in particular attend to the problems of their community, especially the indigent members of the community and among other things, identify destitute households, assisting families to get social grants, houses and other services; and
(b) on Wednesdays, councillors will monitor all projects in their wards to ensure that they are properly implemented.
(3) further notes that with this initiative, the mayor demonstrates his determination and commitment to respond to the needs of the people and to eradicate poverty and to improve service delivery and the living conditions of the people; and
(4) commends the Mayor on his initiative and calls on all other mayors and councillors to develop and implement innovative initiatives and programmes to improve the performance of their councils and administrations and also to improve service delivery and the living conditions of their communities.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
Mr M C MAINE
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Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 479
Mrs M C DIKGALE
FOUR CHILDREN DIE OF HUNGER AND DEHYDRATION IN NORTH WEST PROVINCE
(Draft Resolution)
Mr M C MAINE: Deputy Chair, I hereby move without notice:
That the Council-
(1) notes with shock and sadness the death of four children, aged 2, 6, 7 and 9 respectively of the Mmupele family near Lichtenburg in North West Province, who died tragically of hunger and dehydration two weeks ago while trying to find their mother who had gone in search of food - the post mortem results confirmed their cause of death as such;
(2) further notes that no one in the family is employed, nor do they have identity documents to enable them to access social grants;
(3) acknowledges that this tragedy once again confirms the hardships suffered by poor people and the severe and tragic consequences of unemployment and poverty, especially in the rural areas;
(4) conveys its heartfelt condolences to the mother and the family on their bereavement; and
(5) while mourning the death of these children, calls on the Departments of Social Services and of Home Affairs as well as the municipality to come to the rescue of this destitute and bereaved family.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
Mr R J TAU
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Mr M C MAINE
WORLD AIDS DAY
(Draft Resolution)
Mr R J TAU: Motlatsa Modulasetilo, ke tshitsinya gore:
(1) jaaka re itse gore ka Sedimonthole 1, e tla bo e le letsatsi leo re tla bong re ikgopotsa ka ga mogare wa HIV/AIDS;
(2) jaanong jaaka re ipaanyetsa letsatsi leo, rona jaaka baemedi ba setšhaba, re le Maloko a Palamente, ra re lekgotla le lalediwe go nna gona mo bekeng e e tlang mo letsatsing la 22 Ngwanatsele e leng la Tshiamiso ya Sebele;
(3) re gopotsa maloko a lekgotla gore ba le dirisetse go itlhatlhoba le go bona gore ba tshwenngwa ke malwetse a a feng a a jaaka kgatelelo, sukiri, kgatelelo ya madi e e kwa godimo jalojalo; mme
(4) jaanong ke leboga lekgotla le go ipiletsa gore balekgotla ba nne gona gore re kgone go bona gore a re tshela sentle.
A me a kalo.
[Interjections.]
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON (Ms T C Memela): Hon Gunda.
Mr J J GUNDA: Deputy Chair, the hon Ncube has already spoken about that motion.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C Memela): Actually, I called you because you are disturbing the Council. [Laughter.]
Mr C J DE BEER
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Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 480
THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON
KIMBERLEY INTERNATIONAL DIAMOND AND JEWELLERY ACADEMY ESTABLISHED
(Draft Resolution)
Mr C J DE BEER: Deputy Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the Council-
(1) notes the establishment of the Kimberley International Diamond and Jewellery Academy, established in the Northern Cape ON 4 November 2011;
(2) further notes that this institution will be a world-class training academy that will offer essential skills, technology and research development in diamond processing, jewellery design and manufacturing;
(3) notes that 50 students are enrolled in the academy, seven from Zimbabwe, seven from Namibia, two from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and several students from the districts in the Northern Cape; and
(4) congratulates the Northern Cape government on developing such a comprehensive diamond strategy for the province, the country and the Southern African Development Community.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
Mr T E CHAANE
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NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 480
Mr C J DE BEER
MOTION OF CONDOLENCE
(The late Nontsikelelo Magazi)
Mr T E CHAANE: Deputy Chair, I move without notice:
That the Council-
(1) notes with shock and profound sadness the tragic news of the death of the hon Ms Nontsikelelo Magazi who was a member of the ANC in the National Assembly;
(2) further notes that the hon Magazi, who joined Parliament in 1999 and served with the utmost commitment, humility and discipline in a number of parliamentary portfolio committees, such as higher education and communications, will be laid to rest in Thokoza in Gauteng province this coming Saturday, 19 November 2011; and
(3) takes this opportunity to convey its profound condolences to the family of the hon Magazi and wishes them strength in these trying times.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Consitution.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C Memela): May I then take this opportunity to ask members to stand up and let us observe a minute of silence?
May her soul rest in peace. Thank you.
Mr S S MAZOSIWE
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Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 480
THE DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C Memela)
UNESCO INTERNATIONAL DAY OF TOLERANCE
(Draft Resolution)
Mr S S MAZOSIWE: Deputy Chair, I move without notice:
That the Council-
(1) notes that yesterday, 16 November 2011, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Unesco, celebrated the International Day of Tolerance to mark and underline the importance of the values of tolerance and nonviolence, with the focus on the promotion of building trust in diverse communities across the world;
(2) further notes that this day is made significant by the fact that South Africa comes from a hideous history characterised by extreme racism, gender, class and religious intolerance and prejudice that divided our communities and created a legacy of division and intolerance;
(3) acknowledges the important step taken by South Africa under the leadership of the ANC and former President Rholihlahla Mandela to mobilise South Africans to break with our divided past and embark on a path of peace, unity and freedom as the cornerstone of building a united, democratic, nonracial and nonsexist South Africa; and
(3) calls on all South Africans to observe this period with utmost sensibility and a renewed sense of commitment to triumph over the repulsive characterisation and utmost demeaning innuendos that many of our people suffered under apartheid.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
Mr H B GROENEWALD
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NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 480
Mr S S MAZOSIWE
PUBLIC SAFETY STAFF STORM OFFICE OF RUSTENBURG MAYOR
(Draft Resolution)
Mr H B GROENEWALD: Hon Deputy Chairperson, on behalf of the DA, I move without notice:
That the Council-
(1) congratulates the municipality of Rustenburg which suspended 18 employees because of lawlessness and anarchy, and is investigating several others who could be served with letters of suspension;
(2) notes that the staff was suspended as a result of last week's protest when some of the public safety staff, in full uniform, allegedly brandishing guns, "stormed into the office" of the executive mayor, Mpho Khunou, and demanded to see him;
(3) further notes that they disregarded the mayor's busy schedule and the fact that he had other commitments, deprived members of the community of municipal services and incited and intimidated other staff; and
(4) notes that Mpho Khunou said the behaviour displayed by some of the staff members was tantamount to ill-discipline.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
Mr T M H MOFOKENG
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 480
Mr H B GROENEWALD
MURDER OF PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER IN LIMPOPO CLASSROOM
(Draft Resolution)
Mr T M H MOFOKENG: Deputy Chair, I move without notice:
That the Council-
(1) notes with utmost apprehension the brutal murder of a teacher at Mmasehlong Primary School, north-west of Polokwane, who was murdered by his brother, who burst into a Gade 7 classroom where his brother was monitoring pupils writing their exams and hacked him to death with a panga;
(2) further notes that the suspect was later apprehended by members of the community in the schoolyard before he escaped and turned himself in to the police;
(3) condemns in the harshest possible terms this callous and reckless act, which undermines the integrity and safety of learners and teachers in our schools; and
(4) calls on the MEC for Education in Limpopo to strengthen the safety of learners and teachers in schools.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
Ms B V MNCUBE - SUBJECT FOR DISCUSSION
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 481
Mr T M H MOFOKENG
MOTIONS
WATER MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCES: ADVANCING NATIONAL WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE WATER SUPPLY TO OUR PEOPLE
(Subject for Discussion)
Ms B V MNCUBE: Deputy Chairperson, 56 years back the people of South Africa gathered in Kliptown and adopted the Freedom Charter. Allow me then to quote from the Freedom Charter:
The land shall be shared amongst those who work it!
The state shall help the peasants with implements, seeds, tractors and dams to save the soil and assist the tillers.
It is against this backdrop that the ANC-led government adopted the SA Constitution with the Bill of Rights, in particular clause 27(1), which says:
(1) Everyone has the right to ... -
(a) health care ...
(b) ... food and water; and
(c) social security ...
And-
(2) The state must take reasonable legislative and other measures within its available resources to achieve the progressive realisation of each of these rights.
I am therefore humbled to debate under the theme: Advancing national water resource management for sustainable water supply to our people.
Water is one of the basic rights that a human being must access. South Africa faces a number of critical environmental challenges ranging from land degradation to the obliteration of finite resources, but it is the problem of acid mine drainage that may be its most perilous hazard in terms of its ramifications.
South Africa is a country beset by a water security dilemma, whilst on the economic front the country is driven by a strong mining industry. These two trends have become more precariously positioned in relation to one another over the last decade as a result of the spewing of highly acidic water into the country's water system and endangering communities, as well as ecosystems, along the Vaal River in Gauteng and the Limpopo River.
What is putting undue stress on Gauteng province is the economy and strained water environment that potentially undermines the agricultural and industrial sectors.
The spewage is currently threatening the World Heritage Site that is located in the region known as the Cradle of Humankind. The polluted water that originates from the abandoned mines is threatening residential communities residing in the vicinity, especially along the Vaal, West Rand, Ekurhuleni and Limpopo Rivers.
The ANC-led government has inherited this problem as South Africa's gold mining industry commenced in the 1880s. The problem is due to the historical inability of the previous regime to hold the mining industry to account through the polluter-pays principle.
Due to the high costs involved, no one is willing to shoulder the burden. This then calls for a review of our policies, particularly those of the Department of Minerals and Water Affairs, to include the polluter-pays principle in the licences and ensure companies pay retrospectively.
The government cannot be left to bear the brunt of rehabilitating the environment and caring for the sick. We welcome the Cabinet decision to approve the plan to combat acid water drainage from the mines. The scary part of the research report is the one which cites that approximately 80% of South Africa's water will be undrinkable by 2015 as a result of severe pollution. So, the sooner we integrate policies to preserve water and water management, the better.
When I was young, I once heard that the next World War would be about water. At that time, it was just Greek to me but now I see the reality is worse as we are experiencing the effects of global warming and climate change in different parts of our country. [Interjections.] Hon Deputy Chairperson, they are disturbing me.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C Memela): Hon Mncube, please hold on. Hon Bloem, could you please move back to your seat and stop disturbing people who are debating. You may continue, hon Mncube.
Ms B V MNCUBE: Heavy rains and floods affect us in December, January, February and March and that leads to rivers overflowing. This causes floods to low-lying areas and dams being filled to capacity. Then when we open the gate sluices, the low lying areas are flooded.
The absence of catchment areas allows this water to damage infrastructure, kill people and be wasted. Therefore, there is an urgent need that interventions be made by building infrastructure for catchments, reservoirs and to preserving water. This calls for an integrated strategy from Rural Development and Land Reform, Water Affairs, Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Minerals and Human Settlement.
In Gauteng, North West and Mpumalanga, we have rivers and dams which cannot be used by communities and municipalities to access water because of privatisation, water rights and water contamination.
In the North West, around the Haartebeespoort Dam, residents are currently withholding paying rates alleging that the water is dirty. Communities and industries pollute water by throwing everything into the water because of a lack of education and understanding how precious water is and what threats the country faces. There is a need to look into increasing the number of dams to contain the overflow from the rivers and existing dams.
These rivers and dams are not linked to irrigation schemes, agriculture or home use, but to individuals who use them for private purposes such as leisure and boating whilst poor communities in rural areas and informal settlements suffer. Examples of this are the Vaal River in Gauteng Province, Loskop Dam, Badplaas, Jericho Dam in Mpumalanga and many more.
Access to water is a basic right that the government, communities, NGOs and businesses must fight for side by side. It is in this decade that the commitment enshrined in the South African Constitution has to be realised.
We are just fresh from the census which is going to tell us about the total population per province and then respond to the gaps identified accordingly by having the short, medium and long-term interventions. I would like to commend the municipalities that have prioritised the supply of water to communities like Johannesburg Metro, etc. However, a national strategy on water use and management has to be put in place so as to ensure that communities in the dry areas also benefit.
The lessons from Lesotho with its Lesotho Highlands supplying areas as far away as Gauteng have to be learnt. Legislation has been put in place by the ANC-led government to transform water policy, water law and water resources management from 1997 to 2011. There is a dire need to increase the pace of implementation, enforcement, monitoring and evaluation.
The government has given people seeds, tractors, spades and land for agriculture, but the main issue is access to water for irrigation, even for those people who are on the banks of the rivers.
In conclusion, let me make a call to all business people, farm owners, current mining houses, former owners of mining houses and all those who hold water rights, to work together with the government, municipalities and communities to find a way of addressing this timebomb.
If we love this beautiful country, this Rainbow Nation, we can be more patriotic and do the right thing. I thank you. [Malibongwe!] [Applause.]
Mr D A WORTH
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NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 482
Ms B V MNCUBE
Mr D A WORTH: Deputy Chairperson, hon MECs present and hon members, it is common knowledge that some 98% of all available water has already been allocated in South Africa. The lack of availability of new water resources may soon become a major restriction of growth in the country.
Scarce water impacts on social as well as economic development. South Africa is the thirtieth driest country in the world and faces the challenges of a growing population and economy. The building of more dams is not always the answer.
The Department of Water and Environmental Affairs is busy completing the De Hoop Dam in the Limpopo province. It has recently approved the implementation plan for the second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project at a total investment cost of R15,4 billion by the year 2020. This project, in addition to the existing Katse Dam in Lesotho, should ensure an adequate water supply to the Vaal system until approximately 2045.
The World Bank has in addition recently approved a loan of R554 million to support the Government of Mozambique's National Water Resources Development Project which aims, amongst other things, to strengthen the development and management of national water resources and to increase the water from the Corumana Dam on the Sabie River in the Maputo Province.
The Minister of Mineral Affairs grants licences for mining operations with little or no interaction with the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs. Mining companies must be held accountable, as we have heard, after mines are closed and must ensure that mine areas are rehabilitated.
Acid mine water, the result of groundwater flowing through underground shafts, is decanting from old an uranium mine near Krugersdorp and rising half a metre a day beneath Johannesburg.
Government is adamant that it is managing the problem, but despite a November 2011 deadline to start a water treatment plan, a R225 million allocation from Treasury has yet to be paid to the parastatal mandated to implement the plan, namely the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority.
It is reported that up to 43% of the R934 million requested for long-term water treatment will be spent on staff salaries, transport and accommodation and not on treating the water! Something urgent must be done before our other limited water resources are contaminated. Hopefully, some of the treated acid mine water will be suitable for at least agricultural purposes.
South Africa is amongst the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide in the world and certainly the biggest in Africa. Many parts of the continent are vulnerable to changes of climate because of the large variability in rainfall, which has in recent history caused severe multiyear droughts and disruptive flooding in various parts of the continent.
Development projects and plans need to build in resilience to future climate change. So developments need to be designed to cope with a wider range of climate conditions than those at present.
In my own province, the Free State, the seasonal changes have adjusted by at least two or three months. Whatever the outcome at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and its upcoming Cop 17 meeting in Durban, the climate will continue to warm with dire consequences for Southern Africa until hopefully somewhere in the future global warming will be brought under control and stabilised.
The threats to water quality in our country are numerous, whether it is failing wastewater treatment plants, bursting water pipes because of poor maintenance at municipal level, runoff from agricultural pesticides or industrial pollution. Likewise action must be taken against industries, farmers and users that are using water illegally.
Unless we start recycling water in a massive way and unless we start utilising new sources of water such as the desalinisation of sea water, used on a large scale in the Middle East, which is an expensive process, the country's economy will not grow. New jobs will not be created and human environmental health will be put at risk.
The government wishes to crate more jobs through mining and agriculture, both of which use lots of water. The Minister stated at the 2011 Green Drop Awards that despite the increase in the wastewater plants assessed, the systems that scored more than 50% had decreased from 49% in 2009 to 44% in 2011. The DA welcomes the approval of National Waste Management Strategy and trusts that it will be vigorously implemented. I thank you.
Mr S GQOBANA
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 483
Mr D A WORTH
Mr S GQOBANA: Deputy Chairperson, hon members, ladies and gentlemen, as you may be aware after the long protracted drought in the Eastern Cape, the good rains finally came early in the year, which meant that the drought had been finally broken. I must hasten to say that the drought came at a cost as many dams ran bone dry, which meant that severe water restrictions had to be imposed.
This also resulted in many job losses in the Gamtoos Valley and other areas. Many people were subjected to higher water charges and municipalities had to cart water at huge costs. The drought relief funding of R86 million allocated by National Treasury was not nearly enough, which meant that many municipalities had to dig deep into their own reserves.
The drought also had a huge effect on economic development as various irrigation schemes and housing projects were put on hold. The fact that many municipalities suffered from aging infrastructure as well as lack of operation and maintenance also contributed to the hardship our people had to endue.
Nelson Mandela Bay Metro was allocated R450 million for emergency drought relief, which is being used to bring forward the Nooitgedacht Pipeline Scheme project which will provide much needed water for Port Elizabeth.
Currently, all the dams in the province are nearly full and it is expected that we will receive normal to average rainfall. During this time of drought we embarked on many creative initiatives to save water such as water conservation and demand management through fixing up leaks.
The investment in rainwater harvesting tanks was also welcomed by many communities. Municipalities were also encouraged to consider the alternative use of water resources like the use of groundwater, boreholes, recycling and the re-use of treated waste and desalination, as was the case in Ndlambe Local Municipality.
The Minister of Water Affairs in her Budget Speech committed her department to provide leadership on the construction of the Umzimvubu Dam project as well as the construction of the Zalu Dam outside Adelaide by 2016 and 2018 respectively.
I am aware that Water Affairs has allocated R1,08 billion over the next three years through its regional bulk infrastructure grant programme. There are currently 16 projects underway in the province across all district municipalities.
Just to mention a few, there is the construction of Ludeke Dam at a cost of R995 million to provide water in the Mbizana area; completion of the Coffee Bay regional bulk water scheme at a cost of R53 million which will provide water to communities from Mqanduli to Coffee Bay; as well as the completion of Mncwasa regional bulk water scheme in the Amatola District Municipality area.
During Minister Molewa's visit to Ndlambe Local Municipality in April 2011, she committed her department to the provision of water from the Lower Fish River which will provide water to Port Alfred and the surrounding areas. Most significantly, this project will ensure that the Thornhillhousing project, which was put on hold due to unavailability of water, can now proceed.
I know that Water Affairs has also spent over R400 million in the rehabilitation of important irrigation schemes such as Ncora, Qamata and Gamtoos River Valley and they are planning to raise the dam wall at the Kouga Dam.
Water is an important catalyst in all aspects of our people's lives. Therefore municipalities are being encouraged to ensure that sufficient budget is set aside through their municipal infrastructure grant funds in their integrated development plans, and to ensure that proper water sector development plans are in place.
Finally, there are various structures in the province, such as the Eastern Cape Water Committee and the Provincial Water Forum, chaired by the hon MEC for the Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs, which meets regularly to strategise on water-related matters. Water is a scarce resource and I want to encourage all of us to save every drop of water. I thank you.
Mrs N W MAGADLA
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 484
Mr S GQOBANA
Mrs N W MAGADLA: Deputy Chairperson, distinguished guests and hon members, I'm here on behalf of the select committee chairperson, hon Qikani. I wish her daughter a speedy recovery after her accident.
In less than 10 days, our nation will host the global community as part of the 17th Conference of the Party, commonly known as Cop 17. Central to the talks of Cop 17 will be discussions on how climate change and global warming adversely affect our natural resources such as water and the environment.
Allow me to express our profound appreciation that this important event takes place on the shores of our nation and at an opportune time when we are in the process of rallying all our people to join the fight against global warming and the degradation of our natural resources.
The Cop 17 is made even more significant because already by 1990, the impact of water shortage was being felt across the globe, the World Bank on its water policy reform programme wrote:
Water is essential for all dimensions of life. Over the past few decades, use of water has increased, and in many places water availability is falling to crisis levels. More than eighty countries with forty percent of the world's population, are already facing water shortages, while by the year 2020, the world's population will double.
The costs of water infrastructure have risen dramatically. The quality of water in rivers and underground has deteriorated, due to pollution by waste and contaminants from cities, industry and agriculture. Ecosystems are being destroyed, sometimes permanently. Over one billion people lack safe water, and three billion lack sanitation; eighty percent of infectious diseases are waterborne, killing millions of children each year.
This view was also shared later in the same year, by the chairman of the World Commission on Water for the 21st Century at the water forum in the Netherlands, when he said:
Water has become a highly precious resource. There are some places where a barrel of water costs more than a barrel of oil. More than one-half of the world's major rivers are being seriously depleted and polluted, degrading and poisoning the surrounding ecosystems, thus threatening the health and livelihood of people who depend upon them for irrigation, drinking and industrial water.
If by 1999 there was already this great concern about the decreasing volumes of water, then indeed, 12 years later water - which for many of our people is supposed to be a basic service - should be a scarce resource.
South Africa is one of the few countries in the world that enshrines the basic right to sufficient water in its Constitution, which states that everyone has the right to have access to sufficient food and water. However, much remains to be done to fulfil this right. As we speak now, most of our communities, especially our rural communities, are struggling to access this basic right.
After the end of apartheid, our democratic government inherited huge services backlogs with respect to access to water supply and sanitation. People and communities at large are still complaining about this problem and the challenge to access water is becoming huge. People complain about not having water at all, not having enough water, the scarcity of clean water or having no community water supply, etc, depending on where they live.
In the Eastern Cape province ...
IsiXhosa:
... ngakumbi emaMpondweni aseMpuma kunye nekwaZulu-Natal, eMzinyathi, iMkhanyakude nesiThili sasesiSonke ...
English:
...there are still areas where they access water from a river kilometre away.
In some areas that have no rivers at all or have rivers but not sufficient water, it is a struggle to get water. There are instances where, because there is no running water for them, people would share water with animals.
This means that access to safe, potable water continues to be one of the most pressing challenges for rural communities in our country. However, going through these areas and communities, one will find pockets of water, which maybe will need to be purified for consumption or managed for irrigation purposes.
We know that the democratic government, over the past years, has tried to correct this situation by developing a number of programmes, policies and feasibility studies, which seek to address the management of this scarce and important resource.
In the Eastern Cape, for example, a case study on water conservation and a demand management project, implemented by the Mvula Trust on behalf of the Department of Water Affairs in Ndlambe Local Municipality, from July 2008 to March 2010, revealed that the Ndlambe Local Municipality, as the MEC has alluded to, was facing a crisis in 2008. This crisis was as a result of huge water losses, wastage and inefficiency in its water supply network, causing considerable loss of revenue and water supply shortages in many communities.
The cause of this was that the source of the water supply for Ndlambe, were all almost dry. About 15 million people were without a safe water supply. Therefore, the Department of Water Affairs appointed the Mvula Trust to assist Ndlambe to pilot a water conservation and water demand management project. The primary aim of the project was to minimise water losses, wastage and inefficiency through social, technical, economic, institutional and legislative interventions.
Chairperson, as you would know, we are just coming back from a long but very interesting trip of Taking Parliament to the People, to the Mzinyathi District in KwaZulu-Natal. With regard to everything that we heard from the people of that part of the country and all their needs, the President responded by outlining all programmes that were already being implemented and those that are still in the pipeline.
He made mention, especially in relation to water, of the fact that they are busy considering expanding the water supplies, that the number of boreholes will be increased and water treatment plant will also be expanded soon. [Interjections.]
Chairperson, they are disturbing me.
Also, we will establish the small dams projects to address the lack of bulk water supply and eradicate the water tank truck delivery system.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C Memela): I am a bit disturbed by some of the members here. It seems as if the items we are debating are of no interest to them. They are continually disturbing the people who are debating. If that is the case, then according to procedure I will actually be forced to tell some members to leave the Chamber. [Interjections.]
An HON MEMBER: It is hon Gunda.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C Memela): It is not only hon Gunda. [Interjections.] You will be the first one, hon Feldman.
Mrs N W MAGADLA: Because they have plenty of water in their houses. That is why they are howling.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C Memela): Continue hon Magadla.
Mr K A SINCLAIR: I said nothing.
Mrs N W MAGADLA: In certain provinces, the quality and availability of the water from the rivers, dams and freshwater sources ... [Interjections.]
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C Memela): Hon Magadla, I'm sorry to disturb you. Hon Feldman with due respect, please sit, hon Sinclair, sorry, can you please sit down and stop being naughty. Allow the lady to continue the debate, please, I'm pleading with you.
Mr K A SINCLAIR: Yes, Chair, But I'm pleading with you, Chairperson, in terms of my right, to just listen to what I have got to say. It's my right, it's not a privilege.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C Memela): Can you do that later?
Mr K A SINCLAIR: I want to because...
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C Memela): Time is against us here. Some members are having another meeting immediately after this. Can you put it in writing, please?
Mr K A SINCLAIR: No, Chairperson, on a point of order: I want to raise that I honestly said nothing in terms of the remarks and you said I will be the first one to leave the House. It's unfair and so I want you to reconsider your position.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C Memela): You are not Feldman, you are Sinclair. Sit down. [Laughter.]
Mr K A SINCLAIR: Yes, but Mr Feldman is sitting on that side.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C Memela): Please, it's not me, sit down Mr Sinclair, please, sit down.
Mrs N W MAGADLA: Chairperson, despite all these things, allow me to express our profound appreciation to the ANC government for its commitment to looking at all possible means to advance National Water Resources Management for a sustainable water supply to our people.
As our former President, President Nelson Mandela, once stated when he made a humble plea:
Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.
Let us all remain resolute in our national quest to ensure that our people have access to clean water and that we continue to build more avenues and systems for water resource management preservation.Thank you. [Applause.]
Mr M W MAKHUBELA
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 485
Mrs N W MAGADLA
Mr M W MAKHUBELA: Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, hon members of the House, access to water is internationally recognised as a basic human and fundamental right. Water is part of the socioeconomic processes that plays an important role in improving human livelihood and reducing poverty.
Moreover, water is essential to energy resources, manufacturing processes and industrial activities required for economic development. The fundamental principle that guides the South African National Water Act, Act 36 of 1998, is that water is a national resource that is owned by the people of South Africa.
The state has custodianship over the use of this resource. This use includes the management of this resource in a holistic, environmental and ecological manner. Therefore the state must create the ultimate vision for a lasting solution.
In South Africa, 45% of our population lives on a less than US$1 a day and government, in its New Growth Path, has identified water as a strategic catalyst for the achievement of the economic growth objective. Proper water management and co-ordination of these resources therefore is of critical importance.
One of the main challenges, with regard to water management in South Africa, remains how to turn concepts and strategies into practical action on the ground. We live in the most unequal society in the world, therefore, different South Africans face very different water challenges.
Safe access to water can avoid more than 2 million preventable deaths a year. It increases for many people the ability to work and reduces child labour and school absenteeism.
Rapid unplanned urbanisation, climate change that results in poor rainfall, lack of skills in the water sectors and aging infrastructure are just a few of those issues facing water management in South Africa. Within the rural setting the challenges in getting water to people are that villages are usually located at the remote points from the infrastructure.
In addition, many South Africa municipal waste treatment plants are not performing to acceptable standards as far as water is concerned. A lack of skills, financial capacity and infrastructure investment exacerbate this problem.
Political will is required to overcome this administrative and management challenge. While South Africa has an advanced National Water Act that has all the legal clauses required to take action against the municipalities and industries that transgress this discharging, standard implementation is often lacking. I thank you.
Cllr C HUNSINGER
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 486
Mr M W MAKHUBELA
Cllr C HUNSINGER (Salga): Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, hon MECs, hon members and special delegates, the promulgation of the National Water Act 36 of 1998 marked a new era in the management and delivery of water resources in South Africa.
Water as a catalyst and cornerstone of socioeconomic development must be managed, protected, conserved and allocated in the best interest of all South Africans and, in accordance with the principles embedded in the National Water Resources Strategy, NWRS.
To date, Deputy Chair, the current water resources storage facilities have, to some extent, responded positively to the needs of South Africans. However, there are still major challenges to overcome.
Deputy Chair, we all know that South Africa's water resources are limited. Studies have indicated that some water resources systems are already in deficit. If water is not conserved and allocated equitably, it will undermine the country's transformation agenda. Some provinces do not have adequate water resources storage facilities. A case in point is the Lowveld area, in the Mpumalanga Province and the eastern parts of Free State respectively.
Municipalities in these areas are unable to provide reliable water services to their communities, due to a lack of storage facilities. This limitation hinders the country's ability to meet the 2014 water and sanitation targets. In this regard, the key limitation is the absence of institutions of water resource management and water boards in most parts of the country.
The design arrangement was that there would be catchment management agencies that would be responsible for water resource mobilisation management and allocation. Seventeen years into our democracy, these have not been established, and this is the case in most parts of the country.
Further, most parts of the country – especially the nonmetropolitan areas where municipalities are relatively weaker due to financial constraints – do not have water boards to undertake the functions of producing bulk portable water. These failures by national government mean that the relatively weaker municipalities have to perform these two functions or accept that they will not be able to ensure their communities' access to a water supply.
Parliament needs to seriously probe the reasons for the failure to create catchment management agencies or establish water boards in areas where there is a need for provision of bulk purified water services.
The SA Institute of Civil Engineers recently released a report on the state of water resources infrastructure in South Africa. Water resources infrastructure received a D-minus; simply put, it means that there are areas of concern about how the country's dams are being managed by the Department of Water Affairs.
Of concern, according to the report, is the lack of sufficient maintenance and neglect of ongoing capital renewals. Furthermore, the report also indicated that salinity and purificationare a threat that will lead to an increase in treatment costs. These things lead to a situation where water boards incur higher costs of water treatment, which they intend to pass on to the municipalities through high bulk-price increases, as we have seen in the past two years. Municipalities are then left with no option but to pass these increases on to consumers.
Unfortunately, the impact of all these things is that there is an increase in levels of nonpayment for services, which in turn leads to municipalities being unable to pay the water boards. This undermines the financial viability of our municipalities and, ultimately, service delivery and the democratic transformation project.
This indicates, Deputy Chair, that water equality management has far-reaching implications beyond the water sector. It is about the very functionality of our municipalities and the democratic transformation project.
Water is life and, therefore, indispensable. Deputy Chair, some communities do not have access to water resources because they are being told by the Department of Water Affairs officials that the available water resources are fully allocated.
In many cases, this allocation is historical and allocated in favour of the previously advantaged, especially farmers and, needless to say, this is an issue of importance from a perspective of redressing the imbalances of the past. From our point of view, this is being a transformation blind spot of the water sector. Parliament needs to facilitate a review of the allocation of the country's resources. In part, this may necessitate a focus on how and by whom decisions on water allocation are taken in addition to reviewing the historical allocations.
Deputy Chairperson, we know that some parts of the country are going to face constraints in respect of access to fresh water due to climate change. As a means of adaptation to climate change some coastal municipalities will have to increasingly rely on sea water desalination.
This is currently an expensive option, both in terms of capital and operating costs. The question we are asking is: If national government is responsible for water resource mobilisation and management, why are municipalities made to contribute to the cost of investing in desalination plants?
We propose that Parliament should make a ruling that water desalination and water demand management should be seen as part of water resources mobilisation and management, be made a responsibility of national government and be funded as such.
In conclusion, Deputy Chair, going forward, water resources management should indeed make room for local voices for it to resonate with the country's democratic transformation project. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mrs N MAYITHULA-KHOZA
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 487
Cllr C HUNSINGER (Salga)
Ms N MAYATHULA-KHOZA (Gauteng): Deputy Chairperson and hon members, I bring greetings from the Gauteng provincial government, led by the hon premier, Nomvula Mokonyane.
Water is a constitutional right and we need to ensure that there is universal access to water for all our people. They should have access to affordable and quality water. At the same time, we must also manage this natural resource for our future generations.
Gauteng has a strategy on sustainable water supply and water quality, and I realise that it is in line with the topic of the debate today of Advancing National Water Resource Management For Sustainable Water Supply To Our People.
Since 2005, the national Department of Water and Environmental Affairs, in partnership our province and other key stakeholders, has been planning and driving the process for an adequate and sustainable water supply to Gauteng. The sector departments in the province, various industries and interested stakeholders have been participating in the process.
We had a water summit in 2005, which paved the way for the collaboration between sector departments and municipalities as to the requirements and recommendations made at the summit. Other water indabas have also been held to report on progress and to strategise. This has paved the way for the development of the Water for Growth and Development initiative in Gauteng.
The province has also conducted many studies with the objective to determine whether a sufficient water supply will be available to boost the economic growth and development for Gauteng. One of the key studies finalised was the Vaal River System: Large Bulk Water Supply Reconciliation Strategy in 2009.
The study focused on the supply area of the Vaal River system, which stretches from Gauteng to the Mpumalanga Highveld, the North West Province, Free State and Northern Cape. The Vaal River system was augmented by schemes from the Tugela and Usutu Rivers, as well as the Lesotho Highlands Project to meet the growing water requirements and interbasin transfer schemes.
Other studies that were concluded were the Gauteng Water Sector Plan and the implementation strategy, which was developed in 2006, covering the period 2006 to 2011. In September 2008, the municipal water indabas were held to develop regulations and to look at skills plans, financial plans, asset management plans, sanitation plans, as well as an integrated water resource and conciliation strategy.
During 2009, the Blue Drop Certification was developed for drinking water and quality management, and the Green Drop Certification was developed for waste water management nationally.
Our province, in partnership with the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs and the Rand Water Board – at least we do have a Rand Water Board, a water utility in Gauteng – also carried out studies on water losses in municipalities and implemented projects for water conservation and water demand management.
We do want to salute the municipalities in Gauteng, led by Johannesburg, for taking this matter of conserving water very seriously. In 2009, the province conducted a status quo report on all the waste water treatment plants in the province, covering the age of the plants, type of technology, capacity and overloading, staff capacity, as well as skills, functionality, analysis of effluent compliance and the operations and maintenance issues.
We do acknowledge that South Africa is indeed a water-scarce country and Gauteng being the economic hub needs to support the growing demand for water required by the developing economy and population. As such, we are at work, addressing challenges such rapid urbanisation. We cannot stop people coming from other provinces into our province, into Johannesburg, with the hope of getting jobs and shelter, so we welcome them with open arms in Gauteng.
We are also addressing issues of service delivery backlogs and their related impact; job creation; skills shortage; sustainable free basic services – in particular, access to water; as well as waste water quality compliance.
Not all of our metropolitan areas are located close to major rivers which can support the water supply. All of the above challenges in some way or another have an impact on water and the environment; hence, our municipalities have taken this matter very seriously and have committed themselves to sustain water resources.
We also believe that the citizens of Gauteng and South Africa have a role to play. The role of citizens must be developed via training and education. The middle and high income groups, however, tend to not appreciate the seriousness of water conservation and demand management required in the province and the country.
We are, however, addressing this matter with the citizens of Gauteng. It is important for all of us to treasure water. All households have a responsibility to work with the municipalities and sector departments to ensure that water is used appropriately and conserved.
We have also agreed on various mitigating approaches and strategies to sustain the water supplies in our province, which include rainwater harvesting. We believe that rainwater harvesting is very relevant and effective in the urban edge of Gauteng.
Most informal areas are farmland which creates an investment problem in line with government policy. We have, however, agreed with various municipalities and the farming sector that we must indeed harvest the rainwater. This will also improve the lives of the poor who live off the land, in terms of access to water for local farming, cooking, drinking and bathing.
We have also looked at the role of the agricultural sector, as well as mining, because we believe that these sectors also consume a lot of water. Agriculture and mines have a great role to play in water usage, water recharging and water pollution.
In agriculture, the use of water from the Vaal River system is important, as it reduces the available water resources to power our economy. The use of fertilisers and run-off from the farming operations can also pollute the river water and lead to additional expenses in the purification process.
We have had various meetings with our farmers, and we have all agreed that we really need to look at mitigating the challenges. In the mining sector, seepage of water into the mines is a challenge, and it has to be regularly pumped out for mining operations to continue.
I am happy that hon Mncube, who spoke before me, has addressed the challenge of acid mine drainage, something which we are also addressing in Gauteng. Therefore I am not going to waste time by referring to that. It has been adequately covered. We therefore believe that the monitoring of mining operations and its impact on the environment must be regulated by the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs.
The pillars of the Water for Growth and Development Framework strategy are the following. The first pillar is about strengthening sectoral co-operation and planning. We believe that the government alone cannot achieve the management of water resources in a sustainable manner.
Therefore we feel that we need to work together with other stakeholders wherever we are. This is also about a water mix which should be at the forefront of planning, looking at the water supply, as well as looking at surface water, at groundwater, at return flows, and waste water, as we discussed.
We are also committed to ensure that ...
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon member, may I disturb you for a moment. Hon Tau?
Mr R J TAU: Deputy Chairperson, whilst listening to the hon member giving such beautiful input, is it parliamentary for Members of Parliament to eat in the House whilst an MEC, in particular, is addressing us on matters that affect her province? Thank you.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: Hon members, I would ask the member who has been caught eating to stand up. [Laughter.]
Mr H B GROENEWALD: It must be an ANC member!
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: I saw the person coming in with a food parcel. Can that person stand up? [Laughter.]
Mr B NESI: Deputy Chair, this is medicine.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: You are not allowed to eat in Parliament.
Mr B NESI: No, this is medicine, Deputy Chair.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP: No, do me a favour and take a walk and eat outside and not inside here. [Laughter.] Do me that favour. Continue, hon MEC from Gauteng.
Ms N MAYATHULA-KHOZA (Gauteng): Deputy Chairperson, the second pillar of the strategy is to enhance financial viability and water security. We will do this by addressing service delivery backlogs in our province, together with our municipalities. We will also look at changing water-use behaviour for the future, in conjunction with awareness, education and training.
We will also prioritise development according to the needs of our people. We will refurbish operations and perform maintenance on existing infrastructure. We will look at the water quality management and commission control.
The third pillar of our strategy is about resource implications. We will look at the human capital implications, financial requirements, skills development, systems infrastructure status, as well as asset management.
We have also agreed on short-term, medium-term and long-term plans for our authorities, our municipalities, to look at. We have agreed that they will include these matters in their Integrated Development Plans, IDPs, and they must also include issues of economic development, as we deal with water management, and also look at social development, sustainability of supply, environmental protection, community acceptance and energy efficiency.
Mr M J R DE VILLIERS: Thank you.
Ms N MAYATHULA-KHOZA (Gauteng): I would like to conclude... Am I done? Thank you, Deputy Chair.
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C Memela): Hon member, you can conclude. We took your minutes. [Interjections.]
Ms N MAYATHULA-KHOZA (Gauteng): Deputy Chair, I would like to conclude by saying that as we go to the COP 17 conference, we in Gauteng are also taking this matter very seriously, and we are looking at various approaches and strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change on water resources, and also to adapt our ways of doing things in the province.
We believe that advancing national water resource management for sustainable water supply to our people is a must, if we want to create better lives for all. We all need to subscribe to sustainable development principles when we manage our scarce resources. This is because societies that ascribe to sustainable development should use resources in a way that does not affect the ability of the environment to provide these same resources to future generations. In this way, we will advance towards our ideals of the Millennium Development Goals. I thank you. [Applause.]
Mr M H MOKGOBI
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 488
Ms N MAYETHULA-KHOZA
Mr M H MOKGOBI: Deputy Chair, on behalf of the ANC, I would like to confirm that South Africa is a semi-arid country with an average rainfall of about 450 mm per year, which is well below the world average of 860 mm per year. We, therefore, have limited water resources.
This provides us with a major challenge to ensure that we plan, research initiatives and sustainable methods to preserve our water resources. Unless we do so, South Africa will become like Somalia. Water is critical for our very existence and welfare for both human consumption and our development as a country.
The 2002 National Water Resource Strategy states:
Water gives life. It waters the fields of farmers; it nurtures the crops and stock of our rural communities; it provides recreation for our children, our friends, our families; it supports our power generation, our mines, our industries and the plants and animals - our general fauna and flora . . . Water is the key to development and a good quality of life for all South Africa and the world.
We therefore say that to have economic prosperity, we cannot do without a proper strategy for water management. It is for this reason that the ANC in its 2007 Polokwane resolutions specifically mentioned the need for an integrated water resource management plan, particularly in terms of local government planning to ensure that water is used in a sustainable, equitable and efficient manner.
It also states that water allocation reforms and the allocation of water licences to historically disadvantaged persons must be reviewed with regards to water rights. It is the very essence of the legacy of apartheid that we are still grappling with to ensure that the poor and the disadvantaged get water, since the planning is around the perpetuation of fragmented spatial apartheid.
I am happy to note that our government, as a public trustee of the nation's water resources, has prioritised water resource management to ensure that it is inline with the Polokwane resolutions. Water should be protected, developed, conserved, managed and controlled in an equitable and sustainable manner for the benefit of all South Africans.
The adoption of the National Water Resource Strategy is indeed an integrated plan to ensure that our surface and groundwater is saved and sustained and that it also responds to the environmental needs of our country.
We have many positive outcomes of this strategy and water should be available to millions of our people. Everyone knows about how far we are in terms of the national targets. I am not going to talk about that, but I will only concentrate on how we manage the current situation.
Today we cannot build houses without water because the planning of our country is an integrated one. If the ANC had been in charge since 1948, we wouldn't be speaking the language we are speaking now. It is because of the legacy of the past that we are speaking as we are doing today. We are not lamenting, it is true that we are removing the dent caused by those who were very racial in their approach.
Last week, during the NCOP Taking Parliament to the People, we heard countless calls from the uMzinyathi community. During the previsit, we went to Umvoti where we even said, as we speak now, that it will take years to ensure that the people around Umvoti get water. In terms of the status of the previous planning, it is not of our making, but we are committed to ensuring that we correct that.
In Limpopo, as we are speaking, the province has moved at least a bit in terms of taking proactive action. However, we would want to make a call to those who are implementing the building of dams that they must do so with much more passionate vigour, precisely because people can no longer wait for water. The people in Limpopo want water for agriculture, mining and consumption.
The People around De Hoop do not know whether they will get water any time soon or not, simply because there are no scientists to ensure that when the dam is totally completed they can receive water. We would like to call upon the executive to ensure that plans are made more quickly so that the pipes are not only taken to the cities and towns, but they must also be directed to the communities.
With regard to the issue of the Nandoni Dam in Vhembe District, the dam is complete, but the community around the dam does not receive water, not because of government but because of the shoddy work of the contractors. The pipes from the dam cannot transport water to the communities and now the litigation for the failure is before the courts. On the other side, people cannot wait for the court outcome. We are saying that those people must be arrested whilst the government provides an alternative so that the people of Nandoni can receive water.
Yesterday, in the local newspapers, we learnt that the Western Cape has received a rainfall well below the annual average, but already there talk of austerity measures and strict water usage controls. This could even lead to high prices of water. Water is expensive and we don't want to imagine what will happen to the poor. This is also the situation in other parts of the country.
As the MEC from Gauteng has already said, the 17th Conference of Parties of the United Nations, which will take place in Durban, should also look into this matter because part of what is causing the decrease in water resources in the country is the very essence of the climate change and other factors around climate change. We might have great floods and extreme drought, but this has contributed in the shortage of water resources in South Africa.
It is fortunate that today's speakers were all positive, including the opposition, because they were in line with the strategic framework of the ANC and we congratulate them on that. As you see in this House, they have to work according to the strategies of the ruling party in ensuring that we better the lives of our people. I, therefore, thank you, Chairperson. [Applause.]
The DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON OF THE NCOP (Ms T C Memela): That concludes the debate. Before I ask the secretary to read the First Order of the day, there has been a letter that has been tabled by someone complaining about the objection of the motion without notice that was read. Everybody in this House has the right neither to accept nor to object and all of us as South Africans should respect different languages spoken in this country.
IsiZulu:
Asicwasi muntu.
English:
Therefore I am not going to mention that particular person by name, but he or she must grow up and know that people have rights as well to either accept or object. Thank you.
Mr C J DE BEER / AZM MNGUNI/VM
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 489
Mr M H MOKGOBI
CONSIDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES PENSION LAW AMENDMENT BILL AND OF REPORT SELECT COMMITTEE ON FINANCE THEREON
Mr C J DE BEER: Deputy Chairperson, the Select Committee on Finance reports as follows: The Government Employees Law Amendment Bill will amend the Government Employees Pension Law of 1996, to provide for the implementation of the "clean-break principle".
Currently, the GEPL does not provide for a former spouse of a member to claim a portion of a member's pension interest in terms of a divorce order, once the divorce or an order for the dissolution of a customary marriage has been granted. As such, a former spouse can only receive a portion of the member's interest after the member has exited the Government Employees Pension Fund.
The amendment was necessitated by the fact that the Pension Funds Amendment Act incorporates the "clean-break principle". This simply implies that the former spouse does not have to wait until a member exits the pension fund. The proposed amendments, therefore, seek to bringing the GEPL in line with the Pension Fund Act.
The proposed amendments also consider the 2009 and 2010 Cabinet's approval of the revision of the nonstatutory forces, which entail that the pensionable service of former members of the NSF or services will be recognised, should the Bill be promulgated. The other consideration provided in the Bill is the amendment to give the board more powers to make rules.
The Bill also proposes the new insertion of section 24A, which deals with the payment of pension interest as defined in section 1(b), and provides powers for the board to direct the Fund to reduce a member's pension interest by any amount assigned to the member's former spouse in terms of a decree of divorce granted under the Divorce Act.
The pension interest for the former spouse is deemed to accrue to the member on the date on which the decree of divorce or dissolution of the customary marriage was granted. In calculating pension interest, any additional voluntary contributions by the member should be excluded.
The Bill proposes that the former spouse shall within 45 days of the submission of the court order, elect whether the amount deducted should be paid directly to his of her former spouse or transferred to an approved retirement fund as requested by the Fund. Upon receipt of this request, the former spouse will have 120 days to inform the Fund as per section 24A(2)(f)(i)-(iii).
The Fund is then awarded 60 days to transfer the amount in accordance with the former spouse's choice. In an instance where the former spouse fails to make the choice of where the money should be transferred, the Fund shall within 30 days transfer the amount directly into the former spouse's account.
All current outstanding cases shall be dealt with in terms of this law, as amended. Also, provision has been made that any claims or applications that may have been previously rejected and finalised in terms of this law may now be resubmitted for consideration in terms of this law as amended.
Deputy Chair, the Select Committee on Finance, having considered the Government Employees Pension Law Amendment Bill B15-2011, which section 75 supports, therefore moves that the House supports the Bill. Thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
Question put.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms T C Memela): COMMITTEES: Hon members, that concludes the debate. I shall now put the question. The question is that the Bill, subject to the proposed amendments, be agreed to. In accordance with Rule 63, I shall first allow political parties to make their declarations of vote if they so wish.
None wish to do so. We now proceed to voting on the question.
IN FAVOUR: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape.
The majority of the members have voted in favour. I therefore declare the Bill agreed to in terms of section 75 of the Constitution.
Bill agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms Magadla)
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 489
Mr C J DE BEER
ANNOUNCEMENT
(Deferment of Order Number 2 on the Order Paper)
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms Magadla): Hon members, I have been informed that that the Second Order has been deferred.
Mr R J TAU
UNREVISED HANSARD
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
Thursday, 17 November 2011 Take: 490
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Ms Magadla)
CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF NATIONAL CONSULTATIVE SEMINAR ON CLIMATE CHANGE
Mr R J TAU: House Chair, Deputy Chairperson and members present, as our country is preparing to host the Conference of Parties in Durban, is becomes very important, as South Africans, to reflect upon this. As the South African Parliament we saw it fit to organise a National Consultative Seminar which sought to build national consensus and advance unity amongst all of us and also to reinforce working relations with Parliament, organised civil society, government and the intelligentsia.
The debate about climate change concerns changes in the state of the climate that can be identified by changes in the average of variability of its properties. Normally, these changes occur either naturally or are caused by human activities. According to the Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change third assessment report-
climate change is already happening, and will continue to happen even if global greenhouse gas emissions are curtailed significantly in the short- to medium-term.
There is now more confidence that global climate change is a threat to sustainable development, especially in developing countries and could undermine global poverty alleviation efforts and have severe implications for food security, clean water, energy supply, environmental health and human settlement.
Climate change is mainly about sustainable development which can be defined as development which meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. It encompasses the social, environmental and economic dimensions of development.
Concerns relating to climate change offer a signal example of the tension that exists between two different views on the relation between economic growth and resources. For example, the South African economy is highly dependent on income generated from the production, processing, export and consumption of coal, which therefore means that our economy is vulnerable to the possible response measures which might be implemented by developed countries. It also means that our economic growth and resources might be highly affected since our economy is mainly focused on this particular sector – the mining sector.
Secondly, as a country, we need to ask ourselves how we should balance climate change priorities without working against our own national development priorities which, in the main, would entail fighting poverty, unemployment and diseases. For example, as a country, we are still faced with many serious socioeconomic conditions that seem to impact negatively on our developmental objectives. We need to ask ourselves how we are going to introduce new paradigm shifts in the development of our country through addressing challenges of climate change without falling prey to responding in a nonproductive way, where government would be forced to come up with short-term, irrational policies that would not even assist us in terms of our long-term priorities.
Lastly, as we are moving towards hosting Cop 17, we need to speak with one voice because surely climate change has serious ramifications for all of us.
It was therefore thought necessary that Parliament, from 28 to 29 October 2011, should convene a National Consultative Seminar. This seminar was underpinned by the following objectives: to obtain insight into the collective expectation on the form and content of an agreement at Cop 17; to receive an update on the subsidiary bodies so as to ascertain progress on the Kyoto Protocol, long-term consultative action under the convention, the subsidiary body for scientific and technological advice and the subsidiary body for implementation; to look at ways in which South Africa can use this platform to advance the case for developing countries generally, and Africa specifically; to receive inputs from Parliament, civil society, business, organised business and government in reaching consensus on a climate change agreement; and to draft and adopt a declaration on expectations of technical and other details to be contained in a global agreement.
I would therefore say that the National Consultative Seminar was a success as it managed to strengthen our relations with civil society and other important sectors of South African society. Moving forward, we need to nurture our relationships so that they do not end with Cop 17, but continue even after the conference has ended. In this regard the seminar resolved that one of the things that we need to look is to have an annual assessment seminar led by Parliament.
As a country, let us busy ourselves with finding sustainable ways of building both our communities and the economy. It is our responsibility, as noted by the seminar, that we need to ensure that as we mitigate and adapt to these conditions, let us ensure that it is not at the expense of the developing world and of course the economies and Africa in particular.
Forward to the Durban second commitment, forward! Forward to the defence of and commitment to the Kyoto Protocol! I thank you.
Debate concluded.
Question put: That the Report be adopted.
IN FAVOUR: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape.
Report accordingly adopted in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.
The Council adjourned at 16:04.
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