Hansard: NA: Mini-plenary 2
House: National Assembly
Date of Meeting: 04 Mar 2021
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Minutes
UNREVISED HANSARD
MINI PLENARY - NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (VIRTUAL)
THURSDAY, 4 MARCH 2021
Watch video here: MINI-PLENARY SESSIONS1 (Virtual)
PROCEEDINGS OF MINI-PLENARY SESSION — NATIONAL ASSEMBLY CHAMBER
Members of the mini-plenary session met on the virtual platform at 14:00.
House Chairperson Mr C T Frolick took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayer or meditation.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Thank you hon members. We will now proceed. Hon members, I would like to remind you that the virtual mini-plenary is deemed to be in the precinct of Parliament and it constitutes a meeting of the National Assembly for debating purposes only where no decisions will be taken.
In addition to the Rules of virtual sittings, the Rules of the National Assembly, including the rules of debate, will apply. Members enjoy the same powers and privileges that apply to a
sitting of the National Assembly. Members should equally note that anything said on the platform is deemed to have been said to the House and may be ruled upon. All members who have logged in shall be considered to be present and are requested to mute their microphones and only unmute it when recognised to speak. This is because the microphones are very sensitive and will pick up any noise which might disturb the attention of other members or the member who is busy speaking. Only when you are recognised to speak must you unmute your microphone and connect your video. Members may make use of the icons on the bars at the top and bottom of their screens where there is an option that allows a member to put up his or her hand to raise points of order. I will be assisted by the secretariat when such incidents occur. When using the virtual system, members are urged to refrain or desist from unnecessary points of order or interjections.
We now get to the Subject for Discussion. We shall now proceed to the Order of this session which is a Subject for Discussion in the name of the hon Semenya, on Ensuring the right of access to water for all and the matter of water rights to achieve lifelong-term sustainable water security for South Africa. I have been informed that the subject, which was originally sponsored by the hon Tseke, is now sponsored by the
hon Semenya. I will now recognise the hon Semenya from the virtual platform. The hon Semenya?
An HON MEMBER: Malibongwe!
Ms M R SEMENYA: Thank you Chair. Can the host unmute my camera?
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Hon member, you may proceed even if your camera is not on so that we can commence with proceedings. I’m sure they will sort it out for you.
ENSURING RIGHT OF ACCESS TO WATER FOR ALL AND MATTER OF WATER RIGHTS TO ACHIEVE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE WATER SECURITY FOR SOUTH AFRICA
(Subject for Discussion)
Ms M R SEMENYA: Okay, thank you very much Chairperson. Hon members, hon Chair and guests of this Parliament, the ANC and the world commemorates the life and times of our community leader, the first black woman who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in the USA, Comrade Charlotte Maxeke. She would have turned 150 years in April this year. She loved her country and
her people. She fought for freedom from deplorable living conditions such as a lack of access to clean water, education, health facilities ... [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Hon members, order! There is another member who has her microphone on. Will you please mute that member? Hon members, I made a very polite request. Do not unmute your microphone when another member is on the podium. It is disturbing the session. What will happen from now onwards is that if it occurs again I will unfortunately have to ask that member to leave the platform so that we can get on with the business of the House. Please continue. Hon Semenya, you may continue. Is the hon Semenya on the platform? May I be advised whether the hon Semenya is still on the platform?
Ms M R SEMENYA: Yes, I’m on the platform, Chairperson. Can I
start from the beginning?
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Hon Semenya, I’m also informed that there’s background noise coming from your microphone as well. Can you just attend to that and please proceed.
Ms M R SEMENYA: No. Okay, thank you Chair. Hon members, hon Chair of the session Mr Frolick, it’s my pleasure to participate in this sponsored motion. The ANC and the world commemorates the life and times of our community leader, the first black woman who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in the USA, Comrade Charlotte Maxeke. She would have turned
150 years in April this year. She loved her country and her people. She fought for freedom from deplorable living conditions such as a lack of access to clean water, education, health facilities, sanitation, a healthy living environment, amongst many other rights. Today we remember her famous rebuke to the then leadership, where she said, “This work is not for yourselves. Kill that spirit of self and do not live above your people but live with them. If you can rise, bring someone with you”.
I therefore ask us today ... in fact, I challenge you to show me what you are doing for your community. What have you done for your country? Learn from Charlotte Maxeke, the embodiment of the leadership, and start serving our communities and our country by making sure that everyone has access to clean water and sanitation. Make it our business and assist the ANC to complete the national democratic revolution.
The Freedom Charter declares, amongst others, that all shall have equal rights. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa contains all these rights. Water cuts across ... amongst the majority of these rights, such as those that relate to public health, dignity, property, food, land, property and the environment. The Constitution views water as both a public and economic good that should be made available to everyone who needs it. In fact, it states that everyone has the right to have access to sufficient food and water. These rights talk directly to water security which is fundamental in the attainment of social and economic needs.
The Constitution essentially guarantees all South Africans the right to equitable access and utilisation of water in ... [Inaudible.] In this regard, it will ... [Inaudible.] ... to acknowledge the efforts of the democratic government, led by the ANC, to redress the past racial discrimination in the use of water and access to water for social and economic needs.
The Water Allocation Reform programme was instituted more than a decade ago but has not yielded the intended results, while access to water by households remains stagnant at around 90%. This is a cause for concern which would require an urgent and decisive course of action from all spheres of government and
society. To this end, legislatively it appears that access to water is guaranteed in South Africa. However, it is not the case on the ground. Many people, particularly black, do not have access to water for their socioeconomic needs. This then begs the following question. How do we ensure that everyone has access to water for socioeconomic transformation? Is this government doing enough to implement the water allocation reforms? Let all of us work together to make sure that our citizens access water for social and economic needs.
At this juncture, it is imperative to note South Africa’s participation or efforts towards the UN’s International decade for action — Water for sustainable development of 2018-28 and the Sustainable Development Goal 6 of access to water and sanitation for all. The decade of action aims to promote the sustainable development and integrated management of water resources to achieve ... [Inaudible.] ... of social, economic and environmental objectives, and the furtherance of the co- operation and partnership at all levels to achieve internationally agreed water-related goals and targets, including those in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In an effort to ensure water security for socioeconomic development, government through Minister Lindiwe Sisulu, launched the national Water Master Plan in 2019 to eradicate poverty, inequality and unemployment through the water sector. It is a comprehensive collective of actions and schedules aimed at addressing the backlog and challenges in infrastructure investment, institutional reform in water resource management, and the required capacity and financial investment. This is a plan that guides water development now and well into the future. It provides mechanisms and targets for, amongst others, the redistribution of water for transformation and amending legislation.
The decade of action calls for co-operation and partnerships at all levels to achieve a water-secured world. In this regard, South Africa signed numerous international agreements on co-operation in the field of water resource and related matters. These agreements will ensure, amongst others, capacity building, the transfer of skills, the sustainable utilisation of shared water resources and the exchange of knowledge in research and development in South Africa’s water value chain. Cuba, Lesotho, the Netherlands, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Russia and China are some of the countries that South Africa has entered into
agreements with. Some of this co-operation and partnerships have started bearing fruit. For example, Cuban engineers have now been providing technical support in the country for this month. The Netherlands was instrumental in the development and drafting of the master plan, and the Lesotho Highlands Water Project continues to supply water to the Gauteng province for both social and economic needs.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to the ... [Inaudible.] ... and introduced a new normal. South Africa, like the rest of the world, declared the COVID-19 outbreak a national state of emergency in March 2020. The World Health Organisation recommended several measures to combat the spread of the virus, such as washing hands frequently with water and soap or using hand sanitising gel, and maintaining a social distance, amongst many others. Washing hands as a measure to combat the spread of COVID-19 puts water at the apex of measures to combat the spread of COVID-19. In fact, COVID-19 repositioned water as a global agenda ... It vindicated the advocates of water as a public good that should be freely accessible for all basic needs. [Inaudible.] ... to COVID-19 reminds us of the prophetic statement by the former UN General-Secretary Kofi Annan, who once said:
We shall not ... defeat ... any of the ... infectious diseases that plague the developing world until we have also won the battle for safe drinking water, sanitation and basic health care.
No war will be won unless the people have access to water for both social and economic needs.
This further vindicated the stance of the ANC government in 1994 to prioritise access to water and sanitation for all citizens. Albeit with variable success, this stance saved lives during this outbreak as the majority had access to water and those who did not have were supplied with temporary water tanks and water tankering. Congruent with the ANC lives, ANC leads mantra, the President of the Republic Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa, launched the Reconstruction and Recovery Plan in October 2020. The recovery plan presents extraordinary measures to restore the economy for inclusive growth, following the devastating cost of COVID-19 on citizens’ lives and the economy in general. It is an extension of the National Development Plan. It seeks to create jobs, primarily through aggressive infrastructure investment; a mass employment programme; reindustrialising the economy by focusing on growing small businesses; accelerating economic reform to
unlock investment and growth; fighting crime and corruption; and improving the capacity of the state.
Although this is an economic plan, water is central to its success. In fact, water is an enabler to almost all objectives of the recovery plan. For instance, development expansion, the maintenance and operation of bulk and reticulation water infrastructure will create thousands of jobs and deliver much- needed water to the people for both social and economic needs. For example, the Mokolo and Crocodile River Project phase 2A will augment domestic and industrial water supply to the new Eskom independent power producer power station to extend associated mining activities and accommodate the growing population in the Waterberg district in the Limpopo province.
The structural reforms aimed at unlocking investment and growth would fast-track the processing of water licence applications within three months. This will go a long way in redressing past racial discrimination and inequitable water use. The 2021 state of the nation address affirmed this objective. It further states that these reforms would be managed and guided through Operation Vulindlela, which is a leading governmental programme on structural reform. [Time expired.]
Mr L J BASSON: Chairperson, access to safe and sufficient fresh water is fundamental requirement for the survival wellbeing and socioeconomic development of all humanity. Yet, government continues to act as if fresh water is an everlasting resource.
Well, it is not.
Water shortage throughout the country is about to put loadshedding in the dark! The water crisis is the result of the ANC-led government’s inability to protect, expand, maintain, manage and finance this country’s water infrastructure.
We see on a daily basis political interference, lack of leadership, little to no planning, and the loss of skills in the water sector.
Whether we have a drought or not, our water infrastructure is, by and large, on the verge of total collapse.
In the Blue Drop Report of 2014, 1 009 water purification plants in the country were assessed. Only 32% of these plants produced excellent drinking water. Minister, there has not
been a single Blue Drop assessment for more than seven years. This situation is now quite critical.
The 2014 Green Drop Report assessed 824 sewerage plants receiving 5 000 million litres of sewerage every day, with only 16% of these plants meeting the standards.
Oversight shows that this situation has worsened. This implies that millions of litres of untreated or inadequately treated sewerage are illegally discharged into rivers and streams every day. We have but to look at the polluted state of the Hartebeespoort Dam and the Vaal catchment area to see that this is so.
All I can say is that this ANC-led government is poisoning our fresh water resources.
Eighty-two per cent of South Africa’s rivers are considered threatened by pollution. This is a result of noncompliance in the monitoring and enforcement by the ANC-led government.
Minister, this is why the residents of Kgetlengrivier in North West took matters into their own hands and got the court’s blessing to take over water infrastructure. When the corrupt
ANC-run municipality broke down, the people of Kgetlengrivier rolled up their sleeves and did the work themselves. The judge ordered the residents of Kgetlengrivier to take control of the water infrastructure, fix it, run it, and then claim the cost back from local and provincial government. Not a good story to tell, Minister.
A critical issue is the lack of financial capacity to deliver water services to South Africans, with municipalities owing the water trading entity more than R13,2 billion and water boards almost R13 billion. This government is dragging its heels in taking decisive steps on nonpayment of water by municipalities.
Minister, five water boards requested financial support of more than R980 million in order to keep them afloat with operations, maintenance and payment of salaries. National Treasury informed you, Minister, that Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant funds may not be used to assist water boards and your department does not have budget under Goods and Services to support water boards.
The questions to you, Minister, are: How are you going to prevent water boards from collapsing? How are you going to
protect access to safe water from all South Africans? How are you going to resolve the nonpayment of water by municipalities?
If we want to make sure that we live up to the slogan, Water is Life and Sanitation is Dignity, appoint skilled, experienced and accountable management, and end political interference in the day-to-day running of our water resources. Implement the use-it-or-lose-it principle by transferring underperforming water infrastructure to water boards. Enforce the polluter-must-pay principle and create opportunities for private sector partnerships with government.
But, for now, Minister, we have a water crisis because the ANC-led government has failed South Africa. Thank you.
Ms M R MOHLALA: House Chairperson, section 27(1)(b) of the Constitution affirms that everyone has the right of access to sufficient food and water, and that the state must take reasonable and other measures to achieve the progressive realisation of this right.
But the reality faced by millions of South Africans does not reflect this aspirational value of the Constitution.
In 2020, Statistics SA reported that the percentage of households with access to water increased by a mere 4% between 2012 and 2020, and that about 88% of South African households have access to water.
But these numbers mask incredible inefficiencies and failures of government over the past 27 years. The report indicates that access to water actually declined in five provinces between 2002 and 2019. The largest declines were observed in Mpumalanga at -5,3 percentage points, Limpopo at -3,8 percentage points, and Free State at -3,7 percentage points.
In reality, only 44,9% of households had access to piped water in their dwellings in 2019. A further 28,5% accessed water via taps in their yards, while 12,2% relied on communal taps and 2,5% relied on neighbours’ taps.
This is compounded by the fact that we have a state that is set on commodifying basic needs such as water, thus making access to quality water mediated by one’s class position in society.
When Cape Town faced a severe water crisis, it was ordinary people in townships who were hardest hit because the rich,
white people in the suburbs had private boreholes in their yards which they used to keep their lawns green.
The problem is further exacerbated by the state’s general incompetence and propensity to neglect key infrastructure maintenance priorities. As far back 2016, the country lost 1,1 trillion litres of water through leaks. That is over
3 billion litres of water per day lost through government neglect.
In the City of Cape Town – which was experiencing severe water shortages at the time – over 44 billion litres of water were lost through leaks in one year. Over 65% of all water lost in the province is through leaks.
On top of this flagrant disregard for the maintenance of water infrastructure, the state has not invested significantly in building new infrastructure, such as dams and attendant infrastructure that would ensure access to quality water for households and industrial development.
The result of this is too dire for communities. Residents of Makhana municipality in the Eastern Cape face daily struggles of access to water because that municipality has basically
collapsed. It has neglected to maintain the water infrastructure for the past two decades.
Almost R4 billion has been pumped into the Giyani Water Project since 2010, but the community still does not have water. We know South Africa is a water scarce country and yet, through the environmentally destructive policies of this capitalist network ruling our country, we have destroyed our freshwater ecosystem.
We therefore need to re-emphasise the role of government in ensuring equitable access to water for all citizens. There must be no household without water inside the house in this country. There must be no school without water and flushing toilets.
This is all possible, Minister. We need to build new water infrastructure and maintain existing ones. If we fail to do so, the country will be faced with water shedding in the not too distant future.
The Constitution, the Water Services Act and the National Water Act all make room for the state to play a progressive role in making water accessible to all on an equitable basis.
It is the ineptitude of this government that prolongs the suffering of our people. Thank you.
Mr M A TSEKI: House Chairperson, my gadget doesn’t allow me to
open the camera but hope I am audible.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T FROLICK): You may continue without a camera hon member.
Mr M A TSEKI: House Chair, one could say is for the first time I speak over this, in the sitting. So, it was going to be good if the Chair can warn me, when I’m left with one minute, if it’s possible.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T FROLICK): I will do so, hon member.
Mr M A TSEKI: House Chairperson, water is one of the critical natural resource for social reproduction and sustenance living organism. Water has become one of the major source of conflict in the world due to its scarcity, but equally there’s also lot of fight because of its...lot of water running but that people can’t access.
The scarcity of water has led to the commercialization of water across the world. Private enterprises which process and distribute water have become lucrative industries. The implication of commercialization of water and the high cost of provision of water even at household level will result in many across world particularly the poor to be exposed to water which is not clean.
Our own continent has got its own conflict due to water. I would say it’s not just water, it’s political water, where United States of America wants to see Africans always fighting, because it was presumptuous fight between Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia. This conflict is based on the Blue Nile River. The Grand Renaissance Dam that is built on the Blue Nile has recently been one of the hallmarks of the recent conflict. Alleged conflicts in terms of what the United States wanted it to be. You know the former President of the US, used to always put his hand even where he has no turf to do anything on. There’s not only conflict in Africa but one among many different levels and scales.
In the South African context, water continues to be a scarce resource with many of our areas experiencing drought at times due to the incapacity to build the necessary water
infrastructure to address the growing need of affordable water to all.
The ANC-led government has made great strides in ensuring that majority of South Africa have access to water. One of the key challenges of our water land scape related to water rights, which continues to be largely dominated by the few and the ANC wants to change that, resulting in the lack of water access for households and for economic activities.
In order to ensure water security for the nation there is a need to change the culture of the use of water from the perspective of water as an abundant resource to a perspective of water as a scarce resource which requires usage, to take into consideration of the lack of water.
Climate change is another factor which will have dire impact of water security in the long term, it needs to be addressed. With the existing climate change scenario by 2030 water scarcity in some arid and semi-arid places will be displaced between 27 million to 700 million people – will displaced those people. It is therefore imperative that we should continue to transition to a carbon free society as the
consequence of climate change will result in a dire circumstance for the future of generation human kind.
Water challenges, as a nation, our focus must be to restore the dignity of our people. This means we should solve our water challenge in Amathole District Municipality, Maluti A Phufong Local Municipality and others rural areas, where our people have to wait for long periods to have water flowing in their taps. This does not only affect household but it affects our health systems, our schools and general socio-economic conditions.
Since 1994, the ANC has ensured that water infrastructure is expanded. In 1994 only five million households had access water and by 2016, 15,5 million households had access to water, this means we have connected more than 10 million households, which apartheid failed our African brothers and mothers and sisters to can address the issue of water. This is a tremendous achievement of the democratic government.
The percentage of households with access to an improved source of water was 88,2% by 2018, no government has ever tried to do such improvement. Despite the cost of water, our government provides households which cannot afford water, they get six
kiloliters of water for free by municipality before charging an excess of usage. Our government spend billions of rands infrastructure, this has translated to a significant expansion of access to water. Not all is gloom but it is a better future awaiting those in the areas affected by the lack of water.
This history of land rights in South Africa is reflected in the current state of holders of water rights, which are mainly white farmers who are in position of the majority of water rights. The 1956 water [Inaudible.] is linked with the European rights, a democratic government led by the ANC promulgated in 1998, National Water Act, which is anchored in promoting the efficient, sustainable and beneficial use of water in the public interest and the promotion of equitable access to water. The Act ensures public trusteeship of the nations of water, that the Freedom Charter said that all minerals in the country, below the soil and above the soil shall be owned by people, this where the Act is going about these resources.
Hon members, a key instrument in expanding access to water is the equitable allocation of water rights to address the imbalance of access of water, as President announced in the
state of the nation address that in the water sector we are through operation Vulindlela to ensure that:
Water license applications a finalized within revised timeframe of 90 days, I am saying 90 days and revive the green drop and blue drop programs to strengthen water quality monitoring.
It is with pleasure that as part of the structural adjustment under Operation Vulindlela in advancing the imperatives of the economic reconstruction, in creating inclusivity, the Minister has ensured the realization and pronouncement of the President in the Sona that the Minister has thus confirm the following:
Starting by April 2021, all applications will be submitted and will be finalized within 90 days as long as they are with requisite administrative documents.
Member Mohlala, member Basson I hope you are listening. Despite the progress of expanding access to water for all South Africans, particularly those rural and underdeveloped areas remain an area of concern and focus by the Department of Water and Sanitation. In order to expand ...[Interjection.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T FROLICK): Hon member, you’ve got
now one-minute left.
Mr M A TSEKI: ... he banna [my goodness], I just wanted to say to member Basson, member Basson the ANC has never said water is an everlasting resource. We know that there are many scientific evidence on how water evaporates from the land but what we are saying is that water it’s an important resource that every individual in the country must be able to access.
In concluding, as demand of water increase for households, industry, agriculture and other water...we should embrace the fact that South Africa will be water secured, all people get access, our orientation around matters of climate change, water pollution, efficient usage of water, user-pay principle as mentioned by the Minister of Finance will be based on these matters. As over two billion people live in countries experiencing high water stress.
The vision of Inga Dam and its capacity to ensure water security in Southern Africa, should be placed in the center of future interventions, to ensure water security as a symbolic relationship that exist between water development. Ndzi
khensile ngopfu Mutshami-wa-xitulu. [Thank you very much Chairperson]. [Time expired]
Ms S A BUTHELEZI: Chair, hon members, this motion brought before us today can only be viewed as the ruling party following in the superior consciousness of the IFP. Last year, we as the IFP took it upon ourselves to dedicate the year to raising awareness of the poor and the unsustainable state of water in our country. The subject of this debate speaks about the right to water and long-term sustainable water security in South Africa.
We awfully aware of major challenges faced in our country regarding access to water and instead of building new infrastructure, whilst simultaneously maintaining the current structures where feasible, the Department of Water and Sanitation recklessly drowns itself in irregular and wasteful expenditure. This department behaves in a manner that we are not in a water crisis, when Cape Town became the first major city in the world to sit on the brink of Day Zero.
However, this place is not isolated, as we are facing major challenges in areas such as the King Cetshwayo and uMhlathuze districts where residents have been without water for the past
three weeks. To add insult to the ruling party’s dismal governance injury, Eskom is to blame for further water shortages due to load shedding, whereby the pumps that supply water rely on a constant provision of energy and take up to four hours to come back online.
In 2020, when all sorts of proclamations were made to market the corruption-riddled ruling party, the Department of Water and Sanitation committed that there would be a reallocation of R1,48 billion to be used to implement water source development. If the department were serious about addressing such vital life sustaining resources and actually understood the value of true human rights, then the Minister will have no problem with reporting, here today, on the expenditure of the money and how it was spent exactly benefitted the people of South Africa, whilst being clear of any sort of mismanagement.
There is more to the story regarding the miserable performance of this administration. The Department of Water and Sanitation shows its oblivious approach to water security in South Africa, whereby its sheer nonexistent planning is totally misaligned with the needs of the people. For example, municipalities are mandated with water reticulation and when bulk infrastructure projects are completed by the department,
it is not communicated, nor properly planned with municipalities. As a result, this leaves critical water infrastructure dormant while municipalities play catch up in trying to meet die service requirements.
It is quite clear that this government cannot make the necessary reforms within itself to ensure that a culture of professional nonpartisan and incorruptible individuals are the real drivers of the development of this country. Like with other African countries, South Africa will soon have to start importing water from overseas countries, due to the poor planning and maintenance.
The cadres of the ruling party must already be rubbing their hands together waiting for irregular tenders to fall into their laps in this regard. With this in mind, it is quite interesting to see what the ruling party actually knows about ensuring sustainable water and ensuring this right for all South Africans.
It is only the IFP who are the true bearers of the needs of South African citizens. I thank you.
Afrikaans:
Mnr P MEY: Voorsitter, ons as Suid-Afrikaners jubel van blydskap oor die vroeë reën wat mildelik geval het. Afgesien van al die slegte dinge wat in ons land gebeur is daar iets waarin ons kan juig en dit is die mildelike reën wat God aan ons ... [Onhoorbaar.]
[Onhoorbaar.] ... die voorreg gehad om drie weke gelede die grootste damme, die Vanderkloofdam en die Gariepdam te besoek. En terwyl ek so na die damme staar, toe besef ek dat daardie massa water wat oor die wal rol, alles see toe loop. En ek het vir myself die vraag afgevra of dit nodig is dat ons een van die 30 droogste lande in die wêreld moet wees. Ons moet meer damme bou en ons moet water meer herlei.
Ons bevolkingsaanwas groei vinnig. Werkloosheid neem toe. Ons moet vinnig werk skep en die beste terrein is landbou, maar dan het ons ook meer water nodig.
Waterskaarste is nie net alleen in die landelike gebiede nie, maar ...
AN HON MEMBER: Chairperson, on a point of order: People see their language as a priority and if I was speaking in Sesotho, they were going to call for an interpreter. Now he moves in
Afrikaans, as if we all understand Afrikaans. What is important is that I am not saying that he must stop and get an interpreter, but it is important that you as Chairpersons see all languages as equal. Stop this of making a crisis when we don’t have interpreters.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T FROLICK): Thank you, hon member, you have made your point. Hon members, if you look on your screen at the bottom, there is an icon that indicates “interpretation”. Unfortunately, on the virtual platform, we do not have all the languages for interpretation. The language that hon members are speaking –and they can use any language they want – is then interpreted into English. That is the only provision that we have and those are the constraints that we are working with, as far as the virtual sitting is concerned. All members are encouraged to use their own language and learn other languages, but for this purpose and for this debate, the hon member may proceed.
Afrikaans:
Mnr P MEY: Waterskaarste is ook nie net alleen in die landelike gebiede nie, maar ook in die metros. Verlede week het ’n bruin gebied, volgens die Daily Dispatch, vier dae sonder water gesit. Die rede daarvoor is ’n tekort aan
ingenieurs. In sekere klein dorpies is daar glad nie meer ingenieurs beskikbaar nie.
Ek wil net noem dat elke landelike gebied in Suid-Afrika op die oomblik met water sukkel, maar die vier provinsies wat sekerlik die meeste sukkel is Limpopo, die Oos-Kaap en die Vrystaat.
Ek het in ’n vorige toespraak gesê hoe belangrik watertenks is. Daar is dele van ons land waarin dit so goed reën, dat jy onafhanklik van die munisipale water kan wees, as jy ’n watertenk het. Ek was verlede week by ’n bouprojek in Kwanobuhle. Daar was geen gete en geen watertenks nie. Dit is onverantwoordelik. Dis die kortermynoplossing en ons moet so vinnig as moontlik daarby inval.
Ek kan net noem dat ek vanoggend in ’n telefoniese gesprek met die Gamtoos Besproeiingsraad was. Die Kougadam staan op 6,4%. Hy voorsien water aan die boere van Patensie as ook die Nelson Mandela metro. Die Nelson Mandela metro is in ’n krisis. [Onhoorbaar.]
Ek wil net vir u sê dat daar is al beplan ... [Onhoorbaar.]
... vir nog ’n dam in die Baviaanskloof. Hy moet so gou as
moontlik gebou word.
’n Paar weke gelede kry ek ’n oproep van boere bokant die Kougadam. Hulle sê ek moet kom kyk. Hulle het my daarheen geneem. Die sytakke is so toegegroei, dat die water nie by die hoofstroom van die Kougarivier kan uitkom nie. Ek het toe ... Ek is dankbaar om te sê dat die Minister van Finansies R2 miljoen met die laaste Begrotingsdebat begroot het, en dit gaan vir Working for Water. Ek gaan so gou as moontlik met die Gamtoos Besproeiingsraad, wat daarvoor verantwoordelik is, in kontak kom, dat daardie sytakke skoongemaak kan word.
Verder, wat waterregte aanbetref, Suid-Afrika is ’n droë land, waar watergebruik deur wetgewing gereguleer word. Die grootste verandering wat deur wetgewing gemaak is is dat water nie meer aan die eiendom behoort nie, maar wel aan die waterverbruiker. Kritiek teen die verandering is dat ’n waterverbruiker aansoek moet doen om ’n waterverbruikerlisensie. Minder water kan dan toegesien word as wat hy voorheen gebruik het. Die kritiek is dat dit ’n negatiewe invloed op die wardasie van die eiendom kan hê en die eienaar finasieel skade kan lei.
Ek sluit af deur te sê dat ek sien dat ons die afgelope jare vier Ministers van Waterwese gehad het. Ek hoop en vertrou dat Minister Sisulu ten minste nog ’n termyn kan aanbly, want waterbeplanning neem jare, en ek hoop en vertrou dat daar nie volgende termyn weer ’n ander Minister van Waterwese is nie.
Baie dankie.
Rev K R J MESHOE: Chairperson, the Constitution lays the responsibility for access to water at the door of the state, regardless of climatic conditions. Government should make and execute the necessary plans to store, and distribute water to our people. The Water Services Act makes municipalities responsible for supplying those in their areas of jurisdiction with water and sanitation services.
Scientists and farmers know that South Africa’s rainfall has always been variable and unpredictable, but reliable supplies can be provided to communities, industrial water users and irrigation farmers if storage infrastructure is built with enough capacity to cope with regular dry periods.
It is important that infrastructure is managed with a watchful eye on the ever-changing climate. If the infrastructure is not built and properly maintained, then problems will arise.
Municipalities must start prioritising the maintenance of all neglected and aging infrastructure.
After the inquiry into the sewage crisis in the Vaal River, the South African Human Rights Commission, SAHRC, found that the Emfuleni Local Municipality flouted its constitutional duties by allowing people to live in deteriorating conditions for years. They even recommended that Cabinet intervenes and help the people of Emfuleni who had to contend with raw sewage flowing through their streets and properties for many years.
The ACDP, in support of the recommendations by the South African Human Rights Commission, urges government to urgently intervene in this matter.
The Vaal River supplies water to 46% of our country’s economy and 33% of our people. The taxpayers of Gauteng as well as some in Mpumalanga, the Northern Cape and Free State depend on it. Most of the Eskom power stations in Gauteng also receive their water from the Vaal River. Yet, according to the SAHRC’s report on the Vaal River crisis, the Emfuleni Municipality has allowed kiloliters of untreated sewage to flow into the Vaal River. This is irresponsible and a dereliction of duty.
Because of poor and a total lack of maintenance, the inoperative and dilapidated waste water treatment plants have
been unable to manage the treatment of the sewage and waste water produced.
As a result, raw sewage flow not only into the Vaal but also onto residential streets, schools, homes and other public areas in the jurisdiction of the Emfuleni Municipality, thereby jeopardising the health of people in those communities.
In Makhanda in the Eastern Cape, there has been a water crisis for the last two years. Drought is only partly to blame. The Makhanda Municipality has recently admitted to a faulty pump at the James Kleynhans Water Treatment Works. Broken water pumps are not however new to the area.
In ... [Time expired.]
Mr D BRYANT: Chairperson, approximately half of South Africa’s rain, falls over less than 10% of the land, and rainfall patterns are becoming more difficult to predict as our climate continues to change. There is only so much we can do to realistically mitigate against the changing environment, and therefore we must find ways to adapt. To put it simply, we
cannot continue to rely on rainfall alone, if we wish to be a water secure country.
South Africa’s ongoing drought crisis has had a severe impact
on many sectors of the economy, and it has been horrific to
see the lack of action from the ANC led national government
during the drought, which left many local municipalities to look after themselves, and sadly, many failed dismally. In
Makanda, the ANC controlled local government has failed to come up with any sort of coherent plan to deal with the
drought, and over the past few years the town has faced ongoing shortages with little children going thirsty and some
residents resorting to collecting drinking water from drains.
We must contrast this to the drought response from the DA
controlled City of Cape Town which won international acclaim for its sophisticated and pragmatic response to the drought,
which ensured that Cape Town’s taps never ran dry, and the
economy was able to recover and thrive, despite the most
formidable odds, including a lack of support from national government. Hon Semenya asks, what we are doing for our communities?
Well, the DA-led governments are working to protect local water resources while at the same time, finding ways to use them to augment municipal supply. Last year the City of Cape Town launched the first groundwater supply project from the Table Mountain Group aquifer, which will contribute up to
about 30 million litres per day. The DA-led Administration is
committed to safeguarding this aquifer for future generations.
The DA governments have even begun projects to harvest water
from fog. Hon Tseke, the issue isn’t water rights, the issue
is that ANC government has not invested in sustainable water resources and has failed to adapt to the changing climate. The
protection of natural water resources falls under the mandate
of the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries
although you wouldn’t have been able to tell that, if you’d
listened to the Minister’s speech last year on the performance
plan where the word water was only mentioned once.
Instead of fulfilling this mandate, we are in fact seeing the
direct opposite in many areas under ANC control. In Mpumulanga, the local ANC MEC recently revoked the protected status of the Mabola Protected Area, which includes critical natural water sources, and so far, no one in authority can seem to give a conclusive answer as why this protection was
revoked, but it is well-known that there is long standing proposal for a coal mine in this area, and that the alleged empowerment beneficiaries of the mine are widely reported to
be the nephews of a certain former state President.
If these allegations are true, this would be yet another
example of this ANC government choosing patronage over the interests of South Africans and the overall sustainability of
the environment. Remember, we need water for almost every day, even for making cups of tea. Thank you very much.
Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: Hon House Chair, allow be to start off by paying tribute to a very well-known person who lost her life to COVID-19 today, and a great loss to journalism in South Africa, Karrima Brown, who was famous for the show, the Fix. May Her Soul Rest in Peace, and our deepest condolences to her family, friends and many of them in the journalism field.
Hon Chair, you know, over 50 years ago, I think I have said this before, Mr Sukhraj, a science teacher in Fairhevan Primary School, in Chartsworth, identified and drew to our attention the value of water in a debate he called, water is life, and the challenges that we are facing in years to come, particularly in ... [Interjections.]
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Hon Shaik Emam, will you just hold it there, plese. There is a disturbance on the line and it’s happening contineously. It comes from the hon Mvana. The hon member’s microfone is on. Can we please ensure that she is removed from the platform. You may continue, hon Shaik Emam. My apologies for that.
Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: House Chair, right now as I speak to you, a very great percentage of people residing in Durban North area, are without water since this morning, and it will only be returned back tomorrow. Now, I want to remind my friends from the DA that it is the NFP that highlighted about the people of the Western Cape and the plight they have in terms of water shortages in the Western Cape.
When you talk of Table Mountain, it is something that you were ought to have done 20 years ago, because that water has been running into the ocean, with no attempt by the city who is responsible for distributing that water and doing anything.
But one thing you do in turn, you make the City of Cape Town a water scarce city. You put up prices and service charges. Up to this very day, the people in the Western Cape are suffering as the result of that.
Now House Chair, let me draw your attention to another challenge, and I must pay tribute to Zanele Magwaza Msibi, the former District Mayor of Zululand, who paid so much attention to the Zululand District, and in her absence today, in the Abaqulusi Municipality, the Ulundi Municipality and the Nongoma Municipality, the people that are living in those areas are having a a serious challenges in terms of getting water.
But I can assure you that what is thriving, is the corruption in terms of water, and water tankers that are being rolled out in those municipalities today. Now, we have another problem, hon House chair, and that is, some areas are losing approximately 45% of their water through poor infrastructure, and again as the NFP, we highlighted that plight.
That why we said that, we need to create an industry in South Africa to manufacture locally, the goods that we import from India, the United States and China, so that together we could be able to produce the goods and roll out of water and sanitation throughout the country. [Time expired.]
Mr M G E HENDRICKS: Hon House Chair, the governing party must be congratulated for connecting 10 million residents to a
water supply. Just imagine, how bad it must have been during apartheind under white rule. But we do have a serious problem, for example, in the Ugu District Municipality. The Bremen community endures water outages for eight days or more. The Mayor and City Manager was summoned to this House by Cogta, in spite of addressing down by the Chair of Cogta, and I can tell you who can give you a dressing down.
House Chair, the situation has not improved. In Heberden, not far away, a resident has asked to be given a certificate, for managing to endure 39 days without water. I think that woman needs to be issued a certificate because no one else can do that. The issue of water treatment plants is a serious problem in the cape Town Municipality, where the City of Cape Town pours a poorly treated sewarage in the rivers, and that water runs past small holdings and people, and it also shifts to Khayelitsha, where there are toxins as a result of this poorly treated sewarage that harmed a million residents in Khayelitsha, and they don’t know that they are dying a slow death.
So, for water treatment plants, the solution that the City of Cape Town came with, was to increase the capacity 10 times, in other words cost 10 times more into the rivers. What we need
in South Africa is not large sewerage treatment plants, evry dorpie and every town must have their own sewerage treatment plant. You can’t accumulate the sewerage of miilion residents in one place and then pump it into water ways rivers, then it goes into the ocean. Our snoek has been harmed by the City of Cape Town.
If you test any snoek in Cape town today, you’ll find that there is 20% disease, you have to cut it away and eat the other part. So, the issue of water is a serious problem, even in Masiphumelele, the water ways are also badly managed by the City of Cape Town. They have already been issued with two convictions by the environmental enforcement officer.
The used to be Mayor was hauled over the colds and had to sign a settlement agreement by the Public Protector and also the office of human rights wrote the damning report. So, the municipalities where there is a governing party, the official opposition where they rule, they are letting the nation down, hon Chair. Thank you very much.
Mr M R MASHEGO: Chairperson, good afternoon. Chair, actually the country must not be surprised why hon Basson will choose
...
Afrikaans:
... Kgetlengrivier se dorpie ...
English:
... which is an Afrikaner name and Afrikaner residential area and forget about Umzimvubu, Giyani, Tugela, Lepelle, Vaal and all others but he can only choose Kgetlengrivier because that’s where the boers are staying. And I also think hon Mey wants to represent the interests of ...[Inaudible.] when there are quite a lot of people who are disvantaged by the process. That being the case, I think we are worried about everybody and not a segment of the population.
In opening this debate, we want to remind the country that this month of March is the month of water. The campaign this year seeks to highlight the importance of challenges that are highlighted in the National Water and Sanitation Plan such as insufficient water, infrastructure maintenance and investemnt inequalities in access to water and sanitation as well as water equality.
The ANC acknowleges that water remains a critical strategic natural resource which is assential for growth and development, for the environment, health and well-being of all
South Africans. Through the provision of water, the ANC seeks to ensure that there is an increase in water access to the poor while promoting effective and efficient resource management. It argues for the efficient water use, reduction in pollution and water loss, improving water productivity and stretching water resources. This is important to ensuring that we still manage little water resources to ensure that we achieve a sustainable future.
However, in order to achieve this, we have to address the challenges that exist in our water system and high among those are the infrastructure challenges. South Africa is a water- scarce country and this scarcity is due to many factors such as insufficient water infrastructure maintenance and investment inequalities in access to water and sanitation, and raw water quality.
Many communities though continue to live without water as municipalities have not been able to maintain and provide the necessary infrastructure to ensure that water runs through the taps. These highlight the importance of maintaining and building water infrastructure to ensure that there is an extension of water to all South Africans, particularly those in townships and rural areas.
We need to ensure that we urgently address our own sufficient investment in water infrastructure and inadequate management of water resources. Additionally, we need to confront the aging water infrastructure that cannot meet the current demand of South Africa. This is important as it poses a threat to the future sustainability of the country’s water supply.
The challenges that are being experienced with the existing infrastructure are a dictum that there is a need to be thorough because, if this is not addressed, it will have an impact on sustainable asset management. Water boards working with local government through municipalities are important for this distribution of water and the bulk water services to South Africans. This is crucial for the socioeconomic well- being of people and the provision of reliable and accessible supply of safe drinking water that sustain and support the livelihoods.
We must ensure that the challenges that confront water boards and municipalities are addressed speedily. These key institutions are important for restoring the dignity of our people. When these institutions do not work together, it is our people and the poor - who live in townships and rural
areas - who suffer and bear the brunt of the lack of access to clean water and decent work.
We need to start being changed-based and work towards sustainable solutions. We welcome the work that has been done during the pandemic which saw water boards and municipalities rolling out emergency water provision to the most disadvantaged areas such as the townships and rural areas.
We also welcome the conclusion of Water and Sanitation Master Plan which is significant to the transformation of water and sanitation landscape. Of significance in this Master Plan is the creation of the National Water Resource Infrastructure Agency which was highlighted by the President in the state of the nation address. It is significant because of the instrumental role it will play in sustaining performance of all strategically-important water supply systems in regions where water supply security is at increasing risk.
This Agency will fundamentally and strategically ensure that there is equitable provision of water for all. It will ensure that ordinary South Africans have access to sufficient clean water; ensure that the economy has sufficient water; and it will support the vision of universal dignified water.
The core of the work of the Agency is to ensure quality water and sanitation for all South Africans and guarantee sustainability for the economy. The work of this Agency will be done in a unified and coordinated manner with local government and water boards to ensure that it uplifts the quality of water supply and infrastructure of South Africans particularly to the poor and vulnerable.
We have noted in dismay as communities in the municipality of Makana battle water scarcity and currently experience challenges with the quality of water that is being pumped into the dams. We must consistently and strategically ensure that water scarcity and water quality challenges are urgently addressed. We need to ensure that quality water that is delivered is of the requisite quality to enhance lives and restore dignity. It must be noted that despite strong regulatory tools in law, the quality of raw water in South Africa continues to deteriorate. This is a huge problem because it is a threat to the aquatic function, the economic growth, health and social development.
Poor raw water quality not only increases the cost of domestic and industrial treatment but it also negatively impacts on agricultural production and thus, the economy. If we are to
seriously improve the quality of water in our country, we need to ensure that there is strong regulation. The water resource by water boards in relation to raw water pricing strategy is central to the revenue theme which is: Working together with municipalities is critical to delivering water services.
What remains important though is that the raw water pricing strategy must at all times ensure that the quality of services delivered to municipalities is of the requisite quality. The pricing must not increase whilst the are none or poor water supplies are provided.
The ANC’s vision for water remains that of ensuring that people have access to quality water. We are well aware that water remains a scarce commodity and that in the near future, we may be confronted with water shortages. As the nation, we need to ensure that, as part of the contribution to sustainable future and ensuring water security, we preserve water and also produce quality water. I thank you, Chairperson.
Mr M CHETTY: Chairperson, due to connectivity my video will be off. I want to use the valuable time and opportunity that I have to highlight the very serious situation that has been
developing in eThekwini Municipality for quiet some time now. If there is no urgent intervention the situation in the eThekwini Municipality will worsen and millions of people will be left without water in the city.
Every single day in some corner of the city underground water are crumbling and thousands of residents are left without water for days and in some cases for weeks. Recently, a pump station collapsed and was unable to supply water to hundreds and thousands of residents in the western parts of the city including my constituency Chartsworth.
This incident received national coverage and furious residents have been threatening to embark on a rates boycott. It took the municipality to resolve the outage and find a new pump. As part of its maintenance programme, any efficiently run city like the City of Cape Town, it is expected to have additional replacement pumps for such emergencies, but this is eThekwini.
This is not an isolated incident. The similar situation has developed in the northen parts of the city on many occasions. There are no backup pumps or critical spares when emergencies occur largely because of delays in awarding of maintenance contracts and poor forward planning, if any.
The city has failed over the years to invest in [Inaudible] in maintenance of its water infrastructure and residents are now starting to feel the effects of this. Years of neglect, poor planning and a fail maintenance recourse has now resulted in the eThekwini Municipality needing more than R21 billion to repair its failing infrustructure.
There is no hope of the city finding this money because its revenue collection has been constantly on the decline. But this is only part of the contributing factors to the water crisis the city is facing. The eThekwini Municipality spend hundreds of millions of rands every year purchasing water from Umgeni Water. But more than half of what it buys has been lost in the ground because of the crumbling infrastructure. The result as residents having to pay double the cost for water.
Every time there is a water outage, the city dispatches water tankers. The free water generates no revenue for the city and millions of rands are lost every month. The city have 19 water tankers but only half of them are operational. This is forcing the city having to hire an additional fifty odd water tankers costing approximately R9 million rand a month. This money could have been used to replace the aging infrastructure.
There are also more 47000 litres in the city that are not being read and therefore no revenue collected from there. Instead of having a preventative plan, the city has a reactive plan. Whilst the city have been left to deterriorate to the state, the eThekwini Municipality sees it fit to pay 526 million this year on perfomance bonuses thereby rewarding incompetence. This is a shocking state of affairs in eThekwini proudly brought to you by the leadership of the corrupt ANC [Time Exipred].
Ms M R SEMENYA: Chair, let repeat the words of wisdom from our former President Nelson Mandela and I quote:
Do not judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got up and got up again.
The ANC government may be facing challenges now but believe me, the ANC will never seize to provide services to the people of South Africa. The ANC has no time to talk but to keep serving the people.
The ANC is an enemy of its own success. It has achieved much in a short space of time but it is still not enough. The 10% that still need to be given water ... We are taking
cognisance that we have to look at how we fast-track the delivery of service through our District Development Model, DDM, to make sure that our people get water.
Let me talk to the DA and the EFF, as they blame the ANC on the collapse on their alliance when they got in City of Tshwane and Johannesburg and Nelson Mandela, there was water. They came there and did their own things and disrupted services. Now they want to blame the ANC on their failure.
The ANC will continue to make sure that our people get water where we have not reached them. I must indicate that it is indisputable that the crime and corruption has not spur this sector including water sector. In this regard, the President has signed several or numerous proclamations authorising the special unit to investigate all the mulfaecents that happened in the sector and the Minister was on record in declaring zero-tolerance to corruption and there are officials that have been arrested. There are millions that we are recovering from
those that have stolen from government and we will support the government through its DDM policies to make sure that every citizen receive water in this country. The 10% - you can look at the long walk that we have travelled in delivering services to our people, and now we are at 7%.
Let me talk about the IFP, because they want to claim to be clean. When they were in government before and even in the democrasting govenrment they started to lead KwaZulu-Natal. What is it that they have done and why is there no water in KZN? The majority of our people does not have water in KZN. Today, they want climb the hill and want to score points.
We are accepting our mistakes and we are saying together with our people we are going to move South Africa forward. We are going to make sure that every citizen in this country get access to water. Every citizen in this country is able to participate even in the transformation of water.
In Giyani – hon Mohlala chose the facts that suits her. She does not talk about the farmer who has constructed a dam on the stream that is supposed to go into water and give our people water. Our people in Giyani are unable to get water now because somebody has constructed an illegal dam. We want to appeal to the Minister and his team to go and demolish all illegal dams that makes it difficult for our people to get water.
In Polokwane, the dam that is supposed to supply Polokwane is also blocked by an illegal dam that is built there. Today,
they are standing uphill here and claim that the ANC has done nothing. The ANC has walked with our people and we are still saying, together with them we are going to achieve our goal.
The President has pronounced the recovery plan as to which water is going to be [Inaudible] and make sure that we transformer this country to his glory and make sure that there is service delivery amongst our people. Long live the ANC. Long live our people. The future is bright with President Ramaphosa and the ANC. Thank you very much.
The Mini-Plenary adjourned at 15:20
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