Hansard: NA: Mini-plenary 1

House: National Assembly

Date of Meeting: 13 May 2022

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Minutes

UNREVISED HANSARD
MINI PLENARY - NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FRIDAY, 13 MAY 2022
VOTE NO 41 – WATER AND SANITATION
PROCEEDINGS OF THE MINI-PLENARY SESSION – NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
CHAMBER
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Mini-plenary

Members of the mini-plenary session met on the virtual platform at 9:59.

House Chairperson Mr C T Frolick took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.
The Chairperson announced that the virtual mini-plenary sitting constituted a meeting of the National Assembly.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Thank you, hon members. Hon members, before we proceed, 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. In addition to the Rules of virtual sittings, the Rules of the National Assembly including the rules of debate 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. When you are recognised to speak, please unmute your microphone
and connect your video. Members may also make use of the icons on the bars at the bottom of their screens which has the
option that allows a member to put up his or her hand to raise points of order.
Hon members, the secretariat will assist me in alerting when members are requesting to speak. When using the virtual
platform, members are urged to refrain or desist from unnecessary points of order or interjections. We shall now proceed to the Order, which is a debate on Vote No 41: Water and Sanitation Appropriation Bill. I will now recognise the hon Minister of Water and Sanitation.

APPROPRIATION BILL
Debate on Vote No 41 - Water and Sanitation:

The MINISTER OF WATER AND SANITATION: House Chair, hon Speaker and Deputy Speaker, His Excellency, the President and the Deputy President, Deputy Ministers of the department, David Mahlobo and Magadzi, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, hon members, members of the public, the director-general and senior managers in our department, leadership of our entities – chairpersons of boards, CEOs and senior executives, leadership of stakeholders and fellow South Africans, it is a great honour for me to present my maiden budget speech to the National Assembly in the Republic of South Africa, since my
appointment as Minister of Water and Sanitation in August last year. Let me start with the KwaZulu-Natal floods. We are making this speech at a difficult time, following devastating floods in various parts of the country, KwaZulu-Natal in particular, followed by the Eastern Cape. I wish to take this opportunity to express our sincere condolences to the families of all those who lost loved ones in the floods. We would also like to express empathy for all those who are still without water and sanitation services due to the floods.

We want to take this opportunity and assure them that we are hard at work to return to normality as fast as possible to restore these services. Immediately after the floods, we established a water and sanitation war room in KwaZulu-Natal, together with the worst affected municipalities and the government of the province. Our department quickly hired water tankers to supplement those available in the municipalities and we seconded a team of engineers and other specialists to the war room to assist with the implementation of emergency repair work and to assess and quantify the damage.
We are at the moment focusing in the areas up north of eThekwini, particularly in Tongaat area, where people are still without water to large extent. Good progress has been made with regards to the restoration of water supply but there has been immense damage to water and sanitation infrastructure, we must admit.

Together with the municipalities, we completed the costing of the damage and submitted an application to the Department of Co-operative Governance’s disaster funding. Once funding is allocated, we will continue to be involved in the planning and monitoring of implementation of the reconstruction projects, with a stern focus on building back better. On the National Water and Sanitation Summit, over the past nine months we have traversed the length and breadth of our country, meeting with those entrusted with supplying and treating water in our communities, our department’s regional offices, municipalities, water boards, water-user associations, irrigation boards and catchment agencies – as well as representatives of the communities and industries which are the recipients of our services.
In addition, in February this year we convened a two-day long National Water and Sanitation Summit, which was attended by a wide range of stakeholders and experts. As a result of these engagements, we have developed a thorough understanding of thewater and sanitation challenges facing the country, as well as
a high level of consensus regarding what needs to be done to turn the tide. At this point in time, we want to assure the


 
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VOTE NO 41 – WATER AND SANITATION
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public that we are equal to the task and we are making
progress.
The department is in the process of planning and implementing
a range of major projects to augment national bulk water
resource infrastructure. We are also in the process of
establishing the National Water Resources Infrastructure
Agency to leverage large-scale investments in national water
resource infrastructure that are required to ensure that South
Africa has sufficient bulk water supply now and in future. The
National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency Bill will soon
be submitted to the Cabinet Committee and will thereafter be
submitted to Cabinet for approval and then to Parliament
before the end of this financial year. The final draft of the
business plan has been submitted to National Treasury for
comment.
The augmentation projects, establishment of the agency and
interventions are intended to ensure that the supply of water
does not become a binding constraint to economic growth that
has been envisaged by South Africa. They are also aimed at
ensuring that challenges with municipal water and sanitation
service delivery are not exacerbated by a shortage of bulk


 
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water, as has happened in the cities of Cape Town and Nelson
Mandela Bay, amongst others, in the past.
The rainfall pattern in South Africa shows that there is more
rain in the eastern parts of the country – from the south to
the north, with a red patch in the middle, and a yellow patch
in the west, towards the west coast – that is from Nelson
Mandel Bay up to Limpopo, including North West, the Northern
Cape and the Western Cape. All those places are yellowish. But
when we shift to the middle, again from Nelson Mandel Bay,
going up to the north – that is where we have a close to
crisis kind of a situation with the red patch that requires a
lot of thinking in terms of other strategies including ground
water.
Our main concern right now is dam levels and the availability
of water in Nelson Mandela Bay, but it also includes the
current challenges in Musina, Vhembe and other parts of the
country that are still struggling as a results of shortages of
water. Some historical, and some as a result disturbances in
infrastructure of one kind or the other, up to sheer lack of
management services that are required all the time. We
acknowledge this challenge.


 
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Ladies and gentlemen, the department has therefore developed a
number of projects at various stages throughout the country -
for instance, in the Eastern Cape, the Mzimvubu Water Project
which we are advancing in terms planning is aimed at providing
water to 750 000 people. But that dam will come at a cost of
R25 billion. I must say that it is now at the stage where
Treasury and ourselves are finalising the availability of
doing procurement together with companies that would be
involved in this project to try and see what malls we will
have that will ultimately deliver on this particular project.
The designs are 80% complete and the first round of
fundraising began in January 2022 through a request for
information, which is currently being evaluated. We know that
this is an outstanding project over a number of years but we
want to make an undertaking once more. We are on course and we
are aware of the concern in the Eastern Cape regarding this
project, and we will work together with them up until we
deliver this particular project.
In the Free State, we are in the feasibility stage of a
R10 billion project to build a major pipeline from the Xhariep
Dam, which is the biggest in the country, to augment water


 
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supply in Mangaung. The project is planned to be completed by
2028, if not earlier. In addition, we are implementing a R1,7
billion project to upgrade wastewater treatment works, water
treatment works and water distribution networks in the Maluti-
a-Phofung area. This project is approximately 30% complete and
is due to be fully completed by July 2025.
The R36 billion Phase 2 Lesotho Highlands Water Project is
aimed at ensuring an adequate long-term water supply in
Gauteng via the Vaal River system. The project is funded
through finance raised by the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority,
TCTA, and is being implemented jointly by the governments of
Lesotho and South Africa, through the Lesotho Highlands Water
Commission and the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority.
To date, 14% of the budget has been spent and the project is
due to start delivering water to Gauteng by 2027. And it is
important that we do so because we are aware that after 2027,
Gauteng itself, and the whole of the Vaal River system will be
showing signs of strain. In KwaZulu-Natal, the raising of the
dam wall in Hazelmere Dam to ensure long-term water supply to
Ethekwini is 96% complete. We went there three months ago to
ensure this. This project is due to be completed in the third


 
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quarter of 2022 if not earlier, at a cost of approximately
R800 million.
The uMkhomazi Water Project is also aimed at delivering long-
term additional water to the eThekwini and Umgungundlovu
areas. It will come at a cost of R23 billion by 2028. And
again, we have been assured by experts that if this project is
not completed by this period or earlier, eThekwini and
Umgungundlovu areas, including Harry Gwala municipality and
Ugu municipality and iLembe municipality – they will suffer in
terms of water. It is imperative that we complete this project
on time. The project is at prefunding stage, with funding to
be raised by the TCTA, and construction is expected to start
in 2025.
This past Monday, 9 May 2022, we officially launched the
R24 billion Olifants River Water Resources Development Project
which will be implemented as a public-private partnership,
PPP, with mining companies, to fast-track water delivery to
communities and mines in the Sekhukhune and Mogalakwena
municipalities in Limpopo by 2028. We are pleased to announce
this because it has been a project that we have been
discussing with the Lebalelo Water Users Association, and


 
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finally, we celebrated this in cape Town in the evening of
last Monday.
This is a project that we are sure that not only the
department but South Africa will be proud of once it is
started and once it is completed with the first drop coming at
some point. That is what we are looking forward to. We
appreciate the availability of this partnership that has been
crafted with Lebalelo Water Users Association. Government and
the mining companies will each fund approximately 50% of the
project, which will be implemented by the transformed Lebalelo
Water Users Association, as we have said. The project is at
approval stage with some of the work packages at pre-
construction stage and construction is anticipated to begin by
later this year.
The R1,2 billion Thembisile-Loskop bulk water supply project
in Mpumalanga is aimed at addressing water supply challenges
in the Thembisile Hani Local Municipality. The project will
provide 23 megalitres of water to communities in the
Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces. The project is at
procurement stage and will be implemented over a three-year
period from May 2022 to April 2025. Bu I must say that I have


 
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gone out to speak to the director-general in our department
and asked him to think harder to see if we can’t start earlier
due to pressure in terms of delivery of water from this
particular project. It goes beyond the boundary of Mpumalanga
and Limpopo, and it will have a major impact to communities
out there, including Moutse area, whose people have been
grieving for water for a long time. In a short while, we will
be planning to meet them, once we are sure that the project
has been completely packaged so that we are able to deliver
water via this one. We are at work on the matter.
The Vaal Gamagara Water Supply Scheme is critical for both
mining and potable water supply in the Northern Cape. Phase 1
is 96% complete at a cost of R1,4 billion with Phase 2
starting later this year at an estimated cost of R10 billion.
This project is very important. We went out to Northern Cape
and we completed the discussion on Phase 2 and we are happy
that we have a very healthy relationship with mining houses
there. We will ensure that before the end of this year, that
project gets to a starting point, without and delay and
derailment.


 
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Similarly, to the Olifants River project in Limpopo, this
project is also being implemented as a PPP, that is public-
private collaboration with mining houses, with roughly equal
financial contributions from government and the mines. This
partnership, as a concept and as a strategy is going to be the
pillar of our strategy, going forward, and it can’t be
government alone because of shortages of money and other
related problems. Therefore, we are happy that this
partnership between government and the private sector is
taking root.
We recently commissioned the Moretele South Pipeline in the
North West, a 60km pipe which will be operated and maintained
by Magalies Water and which will be of benefit, among others,
villages of the Moretele Local Municipality, namely Carousel
View, Dertig, Bosplaas, Mathibestad, Makapanstad, and quite a
host of others that the mayor counted when we were together
launching this particular project. This one is complete and it
is delivering water. It liberates those communities from what
is happening, where they were dependent on water from Tshwane,
which will only be twice a week. And it was a constraint to
those people in the context of water being a right to life.
Therefore, we are happy that they will now get water seven


 
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days a week, 24 in terms of hours – 24/7. We are appealing to
communities there to look after the infrastructure and we are
sure that Magalies Water will maintain our infrastructure
there to the best of their ability, as agreed.
To increase water security in the west coast area of Cederberg
in the Western Cape, we have resumed construction work to
raise the wall of Clanwilliam Dam at a cost of R3,2 billion.
The advance infrastructure is complete and work on the dam
wall is starting this month. It is due to be completed in
2026.
In addition, we are implementing the Brandvlei Dam Project in
the Western Cape. This is a R21 million project which involves
the construction of a feeder canal which will provide an
additional 33 megalitres of water for storage in the dam,
unlocking agricultural growth potential in the area. We went
there and we launched the programme and we know that work is
underway in that particular place. We are working together
with the Western cape government on this matter and we are
pleased that we are talking about something that we have seen
and it is underway.


 
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With regard to groundwater, this year, the World Water Day was
celebrated under the theme: “Making the Invisible Visible”,
highlighting the importance of exploring groundwater as an
alternative water source. Groundwater is already the main
source of water for large parts of our country, including the
Karoo, Northern Cape, Western Cape, and parts of Limpopo,
KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape and use in respect of it
needs to be managed carefully for it to be sustainable. We are
happy to say that this is something that we want to
concentrate on and focus on from now onwards.
Regarding water use licences, we are sticking to the 90 days
as a period within which each water licence application must
be completed. We have put together a team; we have trained
them and we are on course to deliver on this particular one.
It is very important that we deliver these licences without
any delay. We want to be held accountable on this matter
whenever there is a problem.
On water boards, we announced later after our summit that we
will be reviewing our water boards in term of number for
economies of scale, but we will also be reviewing them in
terms of their work areas also in terms of their mandate. We


 
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have taken steps in this regard. We have dissolved or
disestablished the Sedibeng Water Board and we continue with
our work to improve efficiency but also to ensure that water
boards are able to raise funds independently and are able to
then come with additional assistance to the needy communities.
But we will continue to work very close to municipalities,
especially those that have no capacity to deliver water and
put our water boards to those municipalities so that they can
render this service without any delay and without interfering
with constitutional and other legislative frameworks with
regard to the role of municipalities.
We are urging municipalities to put water delivery above any
other thing so that communities don’t suffer as a result of
rhetoric which in some cases may not be necessary. At this
stage I want to indicate that the hon Deputy Minister Mahlobo
will later speak on Catchment Management Agencies, the Raw
Water Strategy and a few other policy-related matters. Thank
you very much.
Mr L J BASSON: Good morning Chairperson and thank you very
much. South Africa is one of the few countries in the world
that enshrines in its Constitution the basic right to


 
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sufficient water. Although we acknowledge that progress has
been made, much remains to be done to fulfil that right. The
department’s legislative mandate ensures that the country’s
water resources are protected, managed and controlled by
regulating and supporting effective water supply and
sanitation delivery.
Before we unpack our water and sanitation challenges, allow me
to congratulate Dr Sean Phillips on his appointment as the
Director-General for Water and Sanitation. Dr Phillips, the DA
fully supports your appointment and we trust that you will not
be bogged down by political interference in cleaning up and
fixing the Department of Water and Sanitation.
As we all know, Water and Sanitation is in a bad state, still
affected by a toxic Nomvula Mokonyane virus, and must be
cleaned up now. Furthermore, Minister Sisulu also added her
flavour in confusing matters by appointing advisory committees
that duplicated work being done in the department, costing
ratepayers R63 million. The DA congratulates Minister Senzo
Mchunu for dissolving the Sisulu advisory committees, saving
us millions. Minister, the Special Investigating Unit, SIU,
must follow up on the R35 million kickback paid out on the


 
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Systems Applications Products, Sap, contract. Where did the
money go and who benefited?
We received the 2022 Blue Drop Progress Report on 1 186 water
purification systems in the country that clean 31 911 million
litres of drinking water every day. The report reveals that
48% of the country’s water supply systems were judged to be
low risk, 18% medium risk and 34% high or critical risk. This
result is shocking!
Now, the question is the following. How safe is our drinking
water? To answer this, I quote from the report, “Although some
regions have performed better than others, DWS is concerned
about the poor water quality in the country”.
Afrikaans:
Hierdie resultate is skokkend en moet dringend aangespreek
word.
English:
The 2022 Green Drop Report covers 995 ... [Inaudible.] ...
treatment works in the country and the outcome just confirms


 
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the DA’s warning over the last eight years of oversight on the
critical state of our water infrastructure.
Let’s unpack this report. Firstly, only 23 wastewater
treatment works qualified for Green Drop certification
compared to 60 in 2013. This is a 260% drop in Green Drop
certification since 2013. Secondly, 78% of Limpopo’s
wastewater treatment works have the highest critical risk in
the country, with the Western Cape having the lowest critical
risk of only 11%.
That’s not all. Listen to this. The report shows that 102 out
of the 115 wastewater treatment plants under the control of
Minister De Lille and her department are at critical risk,
with an average Green Drop score of only 12%. This implies a
90% failure under her leadership.
Minister De Lille, first you gave us the R40 million washing
line and now you are dumping 40 million litres of real shit
into the country's rivers and streams every day. What a
disgrace!


 
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We need to take firm action against polluters, and issue huge
fines and lock up those responsible for pollution. Minister,
we must now implement the polluter must pay principle. South
Africa’s water infrastructure is at risk of failure and this
deepening crisis requires leaders from all role-players in the
water sector to address these challenges.
The DA believes that through meaningful public-private
partnerships, a solution can be found. Water specialists
indicated that more than R900 billion will be needed in the
next 10 years on infrastructure to avoid a full-scale water
crisis.
We must also note that R100 billion is needed on mega
infrastructure projects with only R4 billion available. We
can’t keep on running water infrastructure if we don’t look
after it. If you don’t maintain it, it will break and then,
bang! Suddenly you hit the cliff and the entire infrastructure
collapses. This is starting to happen in some areas of this
country.
Afrikaans:


 
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Minister, die DA se boodskap aan u is baie duidelik. Wanneer
Suid-Afrika se water infrastruktuur in duie stort, sal dit
56 miljoen mense affekteer, ryk of arm, swart of wit. Dit sal
geweldige druk op die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie en
voedselsekerheid plaas.
English:
Minister, you have your work cut out for you, but
unfortunately your ANC government has dropped the ball and is
not living up to the slogan: Water is life, sanitation is
dignity.
And so, South Africans continue to suffer without water, not
because of drought but because of corruption and mismanagement
by this ANC government.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Hon members,
[Inaudible.] who is hon Mohlala [Interjections.] Hon members
of the ANC, I can’t listen to all of you at the same time. Can
I listen to the hon Radebe?


 
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Mr B A RADEBE: Chairperson, can hon Grace Tseke do the speech
of hon Mashego please? She’s the last one on the side of ANC,
Grace Tseke.
The HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr C T Frolick): Hon member, I’ve now
already called the hon Mohlala. I’ll ask the hon Tseke to
follow after the hon Mohlala.
Mrs R M MOHLALA: Chairperson, the EFF rejects Budget Vote 41
on Water and Sanitation. The grave matter of lack of water and
sanitation services to millions of our people. Without these
services deserves an extraordinary approach form a government
that cares for the people. Not this lacquered desical attitude
shown by the Department of Water and Sanitation.
As things stand now, your own national water and sanitation
master plan shows that over 5,3 million households in this
country do not have access to clean water services. Your own
water and sanitation master plan shows a growing gap between
water supply and water demand in the country and estimates
that if no significant investments are made to beef up water
infrastructure and promote conservation of water services,


 
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supply will eclipse demand by over 17% in 2030; that is in
eight years from now, Minister.
But what impactful investment in water infrastructure has the
department done? What forms of water conservation practices
have been initiated?
The department is fiddling while the country is on the
precipice of water disaster. Without a bold plan to avert this
water shortage disaster, the country will face a water crisis
worse than the electricity disaster we are currently facing
with the failing Eskom. We need bold action now.
We are already seeing the consequences of this neglect of
water demand problem in municipalities such as Makana and
Nelson Mandela Metro in the Eastern Cape.
We are already seeing the desperation caused by lack of water
in communities around Limpopo, who depend on boreholes for
their water. This department and municipalities cannot even
install boreholes for our communities.
As we speak, Minister, Musina is burning, there’s no water.


 
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The water boards that have been used as playgrounds for the
ruling party’s patronage politics and which have been
factories for producing the most corrupt activities must be
revamped and refocus towards building water infrastructure and
delivering water services.
The artificial separation between this department’s mandate
and the municipality’s responsibility in delivering water must
be addressed.
If no executive oversight is given on the infrastructure
projects that have been initiated, and if the Lesotho highland
project is not expedited, Gauteng will experience serious
water shortages before the end of this decade.
Protest over water will become common place across the country
and social unrest will [Inaudible.] this country over.
South Africa’s large water and sanitation projects currently
under construction are behind schedule; with some facing
delays of more than five years. Almost all of them fail to
meet their initial deadlines.


 
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Projects in the planning phase, upgrading the Olifantspoort
and Ebenezer water supply scheme in Limpopo have not cleared
deadlines. This is the same for other projects such as the
long-standing Giyani bulk water supply project, also in
Limpopo.
The Giyani intervention was conceived in 2014 to supply the
surrounding villages with clean drinking water and be
completed within five years. After details of corruption in
match on the project, with a lengthy investigation, the date
for completion was shifted to December 2022, and now March
2023.
Other examples of inefficiencies in completing bulk water and
sanitation infrastructure are the Masodi Waste Water
Management project.
Projects are not restricted to Limpopo. However, missed
deadlines, wasteful expenditure and poor planning of bulk
infrastructure projects have become the norm in almost all of
the country.


 
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Every large project in the Eastern Cape has been delayed. The
uMzimvubu Dam project was started in February 2015 and the
target completion date was May 2023; this deadline will
obviously not be met as well.
The Nooitgedacht Coega low level scheme and the James
Kleinhans bulk water supply project, both in the Eastern Cape,
will also be delayed.
In the Western Cape, the raising of Clanwilliam dam wall was
initially to completed in November 2021; challenges have
pushed the deadline to June 2026.
The Thembisile regional water supply project in Mpumalanga was
due for completion in 2022, but this is now moved to 2024.
The Britz water treatment works in North West started in 2007,
was meant to take seven years to complete, but will only
complete its second phase in 2023.
Pollution of our river system, spillages of influence,
dysfunctional waste water treatment works and water treatment
plants are daily occurrences in different parts of the


 
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country. Linked to bulk water and sanitation infrastructure
are the operations and maintenance of the infrastructure.
The national Department of Water and Sanitation appropriates
billions of rands each year for built water and sanitation
infrastructure, only to have all that money going down the
drain.
The recently published green drop report 2022 is testimony to
the country’s failing water and sanitation infrastructure.
We reject this report. We condemn the incompetence and
corruption of the ANC. We encourage our people to keep
asserting their right to water and sanitation by all means
necessary. Amandla! [Power]
Ms G K TSEKE: Thank you very much Chairperson and good morning
everyone. I read the speech on behalf of the Chairperson of
the Portfolio Committee Water and Sanitation, hon Mashego. Hon
Chair, water is life, sanitation is dignity. The Constitution
of the Republic of South Africa section 27(1)(b) states that:


 
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Everyone has the right to access to sufficient food and
water and;
The state takes reasonable legislative and other measures
within its available resource to achieve the progressive
realisation of these rights.
As the ANC, we are convinced that the Department of Water and
Sanitation and its entities Budget Vote 41, will take forward
the building of the water infrastructure today to secure the
future of the next generation. Hon Chair, since the ANC took
over the running of this government in 1994, there is a lot
that has been done, and there is still a lot that we are doing
in ensuring that our people have access to clean drinking
water in adequate sanitation. The Minister has elaborated on
that.
Our democratic government took the decision to provide free
basic services, such as water and sanitation for indigent
households. Currently each indigent household informal
settlement with taps in their yards are entitled to six
kilolitres of water per month, and have been provided with
adequate sanitation in the form of flushing toilets. As per


 
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the United States Nations Sustainable Development Goals Report
for 2021, it indicates that in 2017, 92.7% of the population
had access to basic drinking water, while a 75,7% of the
population had access to basic sanitation.
Hon members, ours is to ensure that every household has access
to basic services, irrespective of where they reside. The
Department of Water and Sanitation and is entities has this
financial year, committed to implement measure water projects
to augment national bulk-water resources infrastructure. For
this financial year, the Department and its entities would be
spending an amount of 12,7 billion for the development,
rehabilitation and refurbishment of the raw water resources
and water service infrastructure in our country.
We further welcome the report by the department and these
entities that will be implementing and finalising two mega
projects, 24 large and 28 small bulk-water infrastructure.
That report was presented to the portfolio committee, and hon
Mohlala was part of that.
Hon Chair and hon members, as the department and its entities,
we continue to provide bulk water infrastructure. We must


 
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ensure that when infrastructure is handed over to the various
water services authorities, there is capacity to maintain and
operate the new or refurbished infrastructure. The country’s
population rely on the 144 water services authorities, for the
provision of water and sanitation services. The department has
acknowledged that there are key challenges facing the water
services authority as it relates to technical capacity,
investment in and maintenance of the water and sanitation
infrastructure.
As the ANC, we welcome to intervention already made by
Minister Mchunu to support these municipalities, where there
is failure to meet the minimum water and sanitation national
standards. We are hopeful that by the end of the financial
year, Parliament will finalize the Intergovernmental
Monitoring Support and Intervention Bill. The Bill will ensure
that the national government is able to regulate the
implementation and provide the processes, for an effective and
efficient intervention in the water services authorities.
Hon Chair, the ANC government is committed to the provision of
water services to all its citizens. However, in order for the
local municipalities to be able to deliver water quality and


 
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sanitation services, it is also dependent on its ability to
collect water tariffs. As the ANC we support the introduction
of the water user pay principle. It must be enforced to ensure
that the water services authorities are financially viable
entities. Our support for the water user pay principle is
cognisance of the vast majority of our people, as the vast
majority of our people are intelligent. Therefore, we
encourage those water services authorities to apply for
indigent funding from the National Treasury.
Hon Chair, we know that municipalities are owed huge sums of
money spent residents which then means that these
municipalities all huge sums of money to various water boards.
We have recommended that, the department must come up with
ways of improving debt collection by these municipalities.
Further, encouraged the department to assist local
municipalities to ensure that their billing systems and
revenue mechanisms are strengthened.
Hon members, central to the government infrastructure
development and the socioeconomic development of the
surrounding communities, President Ramaphosa in the state of
nation address, made a commitment that government will be


 
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undertaking in far reaching [Inaudible] ... measures to
unleash the potential of small businesses, micro businesses
and informal businesses, as they are the ones that create the
most jobs and provide most opportunities for the poor to earn
a living.
Indeed, the department and its entities have responded to the
President’s instruction of ensuring that, small and micro
enterprises benefit in government programmes. The department
has set aside 40% of procurement to be spent for women while
the youth and people with disabilities will be allocated 30%
and 7% respectively. Further, there are 165 direct job
opportunities that will be created through the implementation
of the augmentation of infrastructure and operation of water
resource projects. An additional further than 450 jobs will be
created through the implementation of the Regional Bulk
Infrastructure Grant.
We believe that the sector has the potential of creating more
job opportunities, hence in our portfolio committee we
recommended that, the department and its entities must provide
quarterly reports socioeconomic impact in terms of the number
of jobs created, and the number of small and medium


 
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enterprises benefiting from the various water and sanitation
infrastructure structure projects.
Hon Chair and hon members, there are a number of ...
[Inaudible] ... that are allocated to municipalities from
various government departments, which are meant to address
water and sanitation services. The experience has shown that
most of our local municipalities are not really able to spend
the monies allocated to them as a result of lack of planning,
budgeting and co-ordination of the various grants that they
received from national department. To remedy the situation,
the President announced the implementation of the District
Development Model, DDM as a government approach that national
department and their entities give the necessary technical and
financial support to local municipalities in the
implementation of the one plan, one budget.
We have recommended to the department and its entities to
align their Annual Performance Plan, APP along the District
Development Model. By doing that, the department will make it
possible for the portfolio committee to play an effective and
efficient oversight over the spending of the various grants to


 
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waters services authorities. The DDM strengthens transparency
and accountability on the use of taxpayers’ money.
Hon Chair, we are confident that the measures contained in the
department and its entities, will build water infrastructure
that will secure the future of the next generation. Once
again, as the ANC we support 100% the Budget Vote 41 as
presented by the Minister of the Department of Water and
Sanitation. I thank you.
Setswana:
Ke a leboga.
Mr K P SITHOLE: Thank you, hon Chairperson. I am reading this
on behalf of hon S A Buthelezi who is the main member of Water
and Sanitation. Hon Chairperson, water is not a supplement to
our daily living. It is in fact very necessary to our
assistance. And surprisingly, the Department of Water and
Sanitation is one of the most important and conservative to
the sustainability of the population of South Africa.
Vast quantities of countries water services are under stress
dilapidated and insufficient. The dependence of water by all


 
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further emphasises the importance of taking no nonsense when
it comes to protecting this vital resources.
One of the major challenges of recent has been seen in the
province of KwaZulu-Natal and part of the Eastern Cape floods
damage was explores to adequate attention to water
infrastructure. However, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape
are not the only affected provinces. In Gauteng, it has been
reported that water leaks due to poor infrastructure resulted
in a loss of half of all water – a loss that is estimated to
sit at around R500 million in our municipalities. Before the
floods affected KwaZulu-Natal, water infrastructure was
already in a state of collapse. Anyone who will stand here
today and claims that the problem with water infrastructure is
as a result of unforeseen circumstances of the floods damage
is attempting to mislead the House and the citizens of this
country.
The truth of the matter is that, there was no maintenance plan
for water reticulations infrastructure in KwaZulu-Natal. There
is solid evidence to support this as a budget for KwaZulu-
Natal and eThekwini in particular was almost entirely spend on
the operational requirement of the water reticulation system.


 
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The eThekwini Council has before the floods estimated that a
plan to fix and upgrade reticulation process, which include
pump system dam put a pipe required a budget of about
R1 billion per year over a period of 10 years. This means that
a special budget over and above general operation need to be
adequately repair existing infrastructure as the loses set up
at about 54% of reticulation water.
The IFP has over the past has been bringing the importance of
water infrastructure to the attention of this House and to the
department. It is however seen to a fallen over deaf ears. In
this Parliament, we have asked whether an audit had been done
on all the water infrastructure that needed repair in the
country and the Minister could not be given us a definite
answer. Now that we are forced into crisis we have to accept
any half back ideas how to fix and repair our infrastructures
of balancing the growing demand and reliance on water.
The department should desist the opportunity at this point to
draft the well organised budget in that would address the
floods affected areas and then move into other areas that is
in dire needs of water. Without a plan to address the slowly
threatening water infrastructure shortcomings in South Africa


 
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we are simply planning to fail the people of this country. The
IFP do support the budget. Thank you very much.
Afrikaans:
Mnr P MEY: Voorsitter, Suid-Afrika het die afgelope ses maande
baie goeie reën ontvang, met die uitsondering van die gebiede
bokant die Nelson Mandelabaai damme. Ongeag die goeie reënval,
bly die krane oor groot dele van Suid-Afrika nog droog. Die
verslag meld dat alle inwoners van Suid-Afrika teen 2030
bekostigbare en betroubare toegang tot genoegsame skoon water
en sanitasie moet verkry. Op dié stadium blyk dit steeds ’n
droom te wees. In dele van die Vrystaat — Parys, ...
[Onhoorbaar.] ... en Tumahole — was die gebied vir 66 dae
sonder water.
Tydens die sitting van 7 September 2021, het agb Tammy Breedt
van die VF Plus ’n lidverklaring oor Qwaqwa se water ingedien.
Die Adjunkminister van Water en Sanitasie het gereageer en
bevestig dat hulle ondersoek ingestel het en R26,5 miljoen
bewillig het. Die munisipaliteit dra geen kennis daarvan nie.
Die situasie bly net versleg. Die waterkrisis in die Nelson
Mandelabaai-metro duur al vir byna sewe jaar. Die VF Plus het


 
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sedert 2019 permanent tydens toesprake oor die dreigende
waterkrisis verslag gedoen. Niks is aan die situasie gedoen
nie. Ek het in 2019 daarop gewys dat ons sê ons is een van die
30 droogste lande in die wêreld. Dit is nie waar nie. Ons het
genoeg water maar ontbreek aan genoeg damme om daardie water
op te gaar. Die massas water wat see toe vloei moet na droë
dele in Suid-Afrika opgegaar en herlei word. Dink net aan die
groot getal werksgeleenthede wat geskep word.
Ek wil vandag spesifiek na die Nelson Mandelabaai-metro
verwys. Die gemiddelde damvlakke is vandag 12,81%. Binne
30 dae gaan 40% van Nelson Mandelabaai-metro se inwoners geen
water tot hul beskikking het nie. Ek wil herhaal. Binne 30 dae
gaan 40% van Nelson Mandelabaai-metro se inwoners geen water
tot hul beskikking het nie. Dit sluit ook die grootste
gevangenis in die Oos-Kaap, namens die St Albans-gevangenis,
in. Dit sal een van die grootste rampe in die geskiedenis van
Suid-Afrika wees.
Verskeie redes kan genoem word waarom daar so baie water
vermors word. Eerstens is dit die inwoners van die metro wat
nie vir water betaal nie en dus nie omgee oor die hoeveelheid
water wat hulle vermors nie. Tweedens, die Nooitgedacht-


 
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watersuiweringsprojek wat uit die water van die Gariepdam
gevoed word, is vertraag oor ’n betalingsdispuut. Die
kontrakteur het sy kontrak in 2021 beëindig omdat Amatola-
waterraad nie ’n betaling van R1,9 miljoen betaal het nie. Die
projek moes in September 2021 al voltooi gewees het. Die
Nooitgedacht-watersuiweringsprojek is ’n projek van die
Departement van Water en Sanitasie.
Ek wil net noem dat dit so belangrik is dat daardie projek
vining voltooi moet word aangesien dit tans 170 megaliter
water per dag voorsien, en as fase drie voltooi is, is dit ’n
verdere 40 megaliter per dag.
Die VF Plus dagbestuur het so vyf weke gelede die
Nooitgedacht-watersuiweringsprojek besoek en ek wil nou vir u
een ding sê. Daar word hard gewerk en die oponthoud onnodig
was. Maar wat is die korttermyn oplossing in die Nelson
Mandelabaai-metro?
In 2019 het ek ’n beroep op die Minister van waterwese, agb
Sisulu gedoen dat geen bouplan goedgekeur moet word indien
daar nie voorsiening gemaak is vir die opgaar van water deur
middel van watertenks nie. Die groote van die woning se dak


 
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moet bepaal hoeveel water gestoor moet word. Elke huis wat
gebou word moet van geute en ’n 5 000 liter tenk voorsien
word. Dit moet op ’n sement fondasie geplaas word om diefstal
te voorkom. Waarom is dit so belangrik?
In die metro anderkant die opvangsgebied was die reënval goed
en sou die watertenks gereeld gevul word. Ek wil vandag ’n
beroep op die Minister van Water en Sanitasie doen. Begin
onmiddelik met die oprigting van watertenks. Ek wil vir u sê
dat die krisis geweldig is maar ons kan nog ’n oplossing vind.
Ek wil afsluit. Ek dink min mense besef in wattter situasie
die Oos-Kaap hom bevind en daarom as gelowige wil ek sê, kom
ons as gelowiges glo eh hoop dat God ons damme in hierdie
30 dae sal vul. Dankie, Voorsitter.
The DEPUTY MINISTER OF WATER AND SANITATION (Mr M D Mahlobo):
Your Excellence Chair of Chairs comrade Frolick , the Minister
of Water and Sanitation, Macingwane, other Ministers that are
here. Deputy Minister Magadzi and other Deputy Ministers, hon
comrade Pemmy Majodina, our Whip and Deputy Chief Whip comrade
Dlakude, the Chair of our committee, comrade Mashego and our
Whip of committee comrade Grace, hon Members of Parliament, GN


 
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senior managers, the leadership of our entities, esteemed guests
and fellow South Africans.
Your Excellences, comrades and friends, many citizens across the
globe, they continue to perish, economies have stagnated whilst
exposing inequalities that are existing amongst the nations due
to the continued devastating impact of COVID-19, the Russia-
Ukraine conflict, as well as global security, and geo-political
tensions.
In our country we have experienced COVID-19, July 2021 violent
unrests affecting KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng Province and
recently the untold suffering caused by the floods in
KwaZulu-Natal, KZN, some parts of the Eastern Cape, North West
and the fires that ravaged more than 300 shacks in the Western
Cape.
I am joining Minister Mchunu in paying our last respect to all
those who lost their lives due to the matters I have raised.
Their memories will live on because they remain embedded in our
minds and in our hearts. These are the heroes and heroines that
have already succumbed, including the rescue worker that
actually passed on in KwaZulu-Natal.


 
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The only way that we must know that COVID-19 continue to be with
us. The virus is mutating, there are new strains that are
emerging. And, the only way to stop the spread is through our
behaviour as individuals and collectively. Let us support the
campaign and the programme by President and government of
vaccination and frown upon those who continue to spread the
false narrative about vaccines.
Water is an integral part of the ecosystem, a natural resource
and a social and economic good, whose quantity and quality
determine the nature of its utilisation. Water in our region can
become limiting because of a number of challenges that are
there.
Our water systems are more vulnerable in the region because of
issues of climate change and the issues of annual variations in
terms of rainfall, but also issues of evaporation that we see.
Your Excellences, South Africa does not have a national water
crisis at present. However, a number of serious problems we
experience currently they could cause to be the seeds of future
crises. Therefore, our water related problems could have a


 
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negative impact, causing our country’s socio-economic
imperatives to take the turn for the worse.
We must also be mindful of climate change that has a significant
impact causing floods through limited in some areas in our
localities. The drought that we have seen in some parts of the
country as the Minister has spoken to. Many opportunities
offered by the water sector and development and social
transformation will have to be exploited very positively.
We are on course with Minister Mchunu and Mam Magadzi to ensure
that we harness water security in South Africa for the benefit
of all. We would also be deploying technology that is very
destructive to ensure that we are fully secured as a country and
the international experts are also saying that not primarily
that the results of security but we must recognise that water
security is determined by the success or failure of country’s
socio and economic importance.
Therefore, urgent measures are being taken by the Minister as
indicated in his address to ensure that our water systems they
remain the life blood of the nation around the whole country. We


 
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are also on course in achieving the United Sustainable
Development Goals, UN SDG, House Chair.
We must indicate that the ANC-led governments over the last 28
years, we have done well to ensure that access to water to many
South Africans. As we speak, access to water stands at about
90%, access to sanitation around 83%. But, we as the ministry we
are the first to admit that more still needs to be done,
especial for rural communities.
As directed by the President and the Minister we shall leave no
South African behind, when it comes to issues of access to water
and sanitation. We are increasing our capability on research,
working with our Water Research Commission, the Council for
Scientific and Industrial Research, CSIR, and the other
institutions. And, also ensuring partnerships that Minister has
spoken to. In investing in skills revolution, climate change
mitigation strategies and technologies required for the current
epoch and future demands.
Our Department has promised before hon members we have delivered
on our promise to regulate water and sanitation in our country.
We have delivered on the promise of the roll out on the Blue


 
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Drop and Green Drop status. And, the report is actually
available.
We have seen how many water treatments have been looked at, this
report now, it must be able to demonstrate the commitment by
Minister to ensure that we transform our thinking of the waste
water treatment system. We must start to use science and
engineering to ensure that we have the capability to treat waste
water to acceptable water standard.
We must also be able to use these resource, like we have done
with Ivanplats and Mogalakwena through Minister Mchunu, when we
actually sight the Masodi treatment plant that is actual going
to give used raw water for these issues and we want to confirm
that even Polokwane they are also looking at this. We managed to
do these things within less than three months. Our partnerships
are actually working.
One of the issues around regulations, is the issues of the price
of water that has been escalating over some time. Minister
Mchunu would be working with Minister of Finance. They will able
to ensure that our raw water pricing strategy is concluded
before the end of this financial year in the third quarter.


 
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Because, we want to create certainty and be able to do
investment.
Also the other issue we are dealing with, is the issues of
polluter pay principles. There’s a lot of pollution that is
happening, we want to confirm that our waste discharge charge
system is being piloted in the three catchment management areas.
We want a zero charging to ensure that all our systems are
working before implemented in the next financial year. Polluters
are warned, they must stop pollution or they would pay!
We are also doing ... [Inaudible.] ... resource poor farmers and
we are struggling to improve transparency around water
allocation reform. Working with the Minister of Agriculture, the
issues of Vaalharts would be supporting those communities in the
Northern Cape and the other irrigation schemes.
Our Anti-Pollution Task Team is working hard led by myself. We
are actually have dealt with pollution in the Vaal. There are
areas where the sewer is no longer spilling into communities.
But, more work still needs to be done in the Vaal system, so
that we don’t pollute Free State, Mpumalanga and Northern Cape
and Namibia. But, more importantly even in Kroonstad, issues of


 
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spillages, they must come to an end. We are doing environmental
... there are environmental inspectors that were brought in,
there is a multidisciplinary team that are doing all these, more
480 audits, they have also been done by the department.
These are some of the issues that we wanted to highlight. But,
more importantly we are also attending to the issues of sewer
spillage that is happing in supporting eThekwini as they are
actually recovering from the issues of the drought.
We would also want to indicate that we will publish the first
“No Drop Report” by march 2023. We are introducing that Your
Excellences.
Around dam safety, we are working around the bulk infrastructure
to maintain them, ensure safety of our people because we don’t
want to be losing more people. But at the very same time we want
our dams to be used by communities. The areas around dam, for
recreation so the communities they can be in a position,
themselves to benefit.
We are proceeding with the issues of ... [Inaudible.] ... reform
our Catchment Management Agencies will be there. Currently those


 
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three, we actually expanding to the six ‘proto-Catch Management
Agencies, CMA’s’ we are looking at their roles and
responsibilities and giving them more powers.
Around water pricing and tariffs, the Water Economic Regulation
Committee, is on board. We are concluding that and the two
Ministers, they will have conference. We want also to ensure
that we create jobs House Chair, through our own programme of
infrastructure development, water conservation, waste water
treatment turnaround strategies, but also using asset
management.
As a department, we remain steadfast and on course towards
building a truly united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic
society as envisioned in the freedom charter and our
Constitution.
As indicated in my introduction House Chair, the challenges we
face, they are too big, but they are not insurmountable. Our
collective effort and resilience of our nation it will see us
through. Let us remain vigilant of the dangers faced by our
revolutionary advancement but we should never be rigid,
inflexible or inactive to change. We remain inspired by our


 
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shared aspiration and by the desire to create and fulfil our
promise of a better life for all. God bless South Africa, her
sons and daughters I thank you House Chair!
Ms C SEOPOSENGWE: Hon Chairperson, through our research and
innovation we will lead new water and sanitation technologies.
Hon Chairperson, as the ANC we support the Department of Water
and Sanitation and its entities for Budget Vote No 41. We are
convinced that through research and innovation conducted by
the Water Research Commission, will lead to the creation of
new water and sanitation technologies that will positively
impact our society.
Farming must be made available for research and innovation.
Knowledge and production through quality research is very
critical for the development of our society. However, the
research process is costly and takes a long time to produce
quality results.
We acknowledge the fact that in our country where the public
entity that is dedicated for water and sanitation research to
inform government policy and decision-making processes. For
2021 to 2022 financial year the Water Research Commission


 
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received an allocation of an amount of R296,765 million. While
for this current financial year, it received an amount of
R361 million from the national Department of Water and
Sanitation.
As the ANC acknowledge the amount of the allocation, we are of
the view and are serious about the development of the new
technologies which will have a huge socioeconomic impact in
our country.
The budget for the Water Research Commission should be
increased. The increase of the budget will mean that the
department will be able to recruit and retain critical skills
within its empowerment. Further, it will mean that the new
technologies produced by the commission will be government-
owned with the government heading intellectual property, IP,
returns on that knowledge.
Concerning climate change compliant innovation, we have
experienced the impacts of climate change in our country. The
recent droughts in certain parts of our country, as we would
have heard about the recent devastating and calamitous
situation in Gqeberha and the surrounding areas, but also the


 
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April droughts impact of climate change in various vulnerable
communities in our country.
Hon Chairperson, we happy to report to the Water Research
Commission launched a project entitled the “Adaptive response
and local scale adaptation for improving water security
resilience to climate change in selected communities in
Giyani” in the Limpopo province.
According to the Water Research Commission, the main objective
of the project is to make local communities from Giyani area
climate resilient by developing Water Energy Amenities that
both addresses water shortages, but also stimulate economic
activity and growth.
Last Wednesday it was reported in the Daily Despatch an
Eastern Cape provincial newspaper that residents of Masele
under the Ndlambe Local Municipality had to walk more than
five kilometres to the nearest river to get water. The Ndlambe
Local Municipality is one of our municipalities which their
dams have been affected by climate change and a desalination
water plant has already been commissioned and operational. The
Water Research Commission key focal area for this financial is


 
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on desalination of sea water. The outcomes of which will be of
much assistance to other communities which have the same
experiences as the Masele community. New and innovative
equipment within the water and sanitation sector will create
new industries.
Hon Chairperson the new and innovative equipment must not only
deal with service delivery challenges as they relate to water
and sanitation, but more also address the socioeconomic
development of our communities through the development of new
industries. This is one of the key strategic goals of the
Water Research Commission which is to produce new intellectual
property or have the ability to introduce innovations that
create new or improved technologies, products and services
that can be used in the real economy.
Hon Chairperson, as the portfolio committee, we have noted
that a number of new technologies produced through research
conducted by the Water Research Commission is underutilised by
the government.
We have recommended that the Department of Water and
Sanitation, Water Research Commission, the Department of


 
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Trade, Industry and Competition with the Department of Co-
operative Governance and Traditional Affairs should
collaborate and ensure the uptake and develop industry for the
mass production of new water and sanitation technologies. Mass
production of this new water and sanitation technologies will
contribute in job creation and economic growth in the country.
Hon Chairperson, through new innovative water and sanitation
system, our government will fast-track service delivery. The
Water Research Commission, is committed in addressing the
backlog in water and sanitation delivery in our country, with
a particular focus on sanitation in our public schools. We
commend the work that the commission has undertaken in this
regard.
Close to 4 000 public schools, have no adequate sanitation
facilities in our country. In response to this challenge, the
Water Research Commission in collaboration with the Department
of Basic Education, have initiated a programme of sanitation
appropriate for education initiative by piloting a new
innovative next generation technology.


 
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Key to this new technology is the ability of the sanitation
system to trait waste water for reuse in the same system. The
project has been implemented at the Tsholetsang Primary School
in the Gauteng province, using new technologies as an
alternative to flashing toilet system.
Hon Chairperson, South Africa is a water scarce country,
therefore, we must ensure that we utilise innovative
sanitation technologies that will save fresh water use.
According to the Water Research Commission between 40 and 50%
households water combustion is used for domestic sewerage. It
is with this background that the Water Research Commission has
directed new research for alternative and innovative
sanitation system.
The programmed research would be done under the Sanitation
Transformation Initiative, SaNiTi, which not only seek to
address the sanitation challenges in our country, but also
ensure that new industries emerge out of this research to
create jobs and the socioeconomic development of the various
communities in our country.


 
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With regards to water conservation and water resource
management - water availability is not only reliant on the
rain fall that the country receives in a particular year, but
it is also about the ability of the country to conserve,
harness and harvest our portable water.
One of the challenges facing water is water leaks. The
Department of Water and Sanitation has implemented a War on
Leaks Programme to deal with the scourge of water leaks in our
municipalities, which municipalities must embrace as that is
where the war will be lost or won.
The Water Research Commission has produced a new technology
aqua trip which detects leaks then switch off water supply and
it reports the leak to a main system so that the leak can be
attended to by municipality officials. This new technology
will not only deal with water leaks but will conserve water in
our country.
Hon Chairperson, we support the Budget Vote No 41 with the
full-knowledge of the strides that are being made by the
department and its entities in the provision of clean,


 
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drinking water and for proper sanitation services for our
people.
Setswana:
Ga ese gore lefapha le la rona ga le dire sepe jaaka batho ba
bangwe ba ba batlang go tla mo ba ngongorega. Ba ngongoregetse
ruri, mme ba sa kgone go tla ka ditsholofetso le ditharabololo
tse di matshwanedi. Ke a leboga.
Mr S M JAFTA: ... [Inaudible.] ...
The ACTING HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr M G Mahlaule): Hon Jafta, hon
Jafta!
Mr S M JAFTA: Hello, Chair.
The ACTING HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr M G Mahlaule): We can hardly
hear what you are saying. Can you try and get a better
connection?
Mr S M JAFTA: Am I audible? I will try. Maybe you will come
back for me, please.


 
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The ACTING HOUSE CHAIRPERSON (Mr M G Mahlaule): Can you
proceed now, you are better.
Mr S M JAFTA: Oh! Okay, Chair. I was saying that two things
need to be emphasized here, though we support the Budget Vote.
One is that access to clean water is a constitutional right to
every South African citizen. Therefore, the department must
make sure that this is ... [Inaudible.] ... the local and the
districts areas. Hon Chairperson, most people still struggle
to get water, let alone clean water.
One other thing that we need to emphasise is that the
department needs to give attention to the informal
settlements, clean water need to be provided in these areas
and to improve their living conditions with regard to sewerage
systems. Otherwise as I’ve said, hon Chairperson, the AIC
support the Budget Vote. Thank you.
Mr M G E HENDRICKS: Thank you very much, hon House Chair. Hon
House Chair, 2 million incident reports and 90,000 folders of
looting and corruption in water provision and proper
sanitation is a very strong indicator of a failed government
department. This must be the worst government department on


 
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earth. How can the Department of Water and Sanitation expect
any money from the fiscus if half of the money they get is
expected to be looted in the new year?
Once again, this will be ... [Inaudible.] ... against the
sixth Parliament. The human resource department’ need of
offices is an embarrassment and must be really ploy. They
don’t make the cut. They must immediately hold disciplinary
hearings when cases arise, not drag these cases. As we speak
now, there are 100 new incidents and I hope they do it better.
So, no money to give the poor people and water continue to be
compromised. Forensic reports are unnecessarily delayed.
Labour discipline is based on a balance of probabilities and
not onerous standards of the courts.
Can the Minister of Police tell this to the new director-
general? The first ... [Inaudible.] ... resistant fighter to
bring down apartheid came from the former Transkei. Let me
name, Walter Sisulu, yet residents are the last to get water.
Their sons were hanged, persecuted, tortured and jailed in
solitary confinement. Last night we debated how every level of
staff in the Department of Water and Sanitation and its
entities looted R38 billion and why only R1 billion have so


 
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far been recovered. So, uh, if Parliament cannot deal with
water catastrophe, the ... [Inaudible.] ... is doing South
Africa proud and here I mentioned the Daily Maverick.
Every word that was written would bring a drop of water to
children, women and the elderly and some dying of thirst, they
must, please, keep this up and other media must join them
because it doesn’t seem as if Parliament and everyone else is
doing proper oversight, so, we must ask the media for help.
This ... [Inaudible.] ... catastrophe must ... [Inaudible.]
... the nation. Like the Minister and his Chair has stated the
Ministers and Deputy Ministers before him over the decade must
fall on their swords. Thank you very much, hon House Chair.
Mr A M SHAIK EMAM: Thank you, House Chairperson. Chairperson,
this particular department is in a crisis and it has been in a
crisis for many years. Now - and I’ve said this before,
Chairperson - you can bring Ministers, you can change the
Deputy Ministers, but you’re not going to solve the problem in
this department. I know for a long period of time there’s been
acting director-generals, DGs, and acting deputy-director
generals, DDGs.


 
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I’m not surprised, Chairperson, that there were some officials
from the Alfred Nzo District that were arrested for corruption
and looting, because I remember under Standing Committee on
Appropriations, six years ago, we highlighted corruption in
the Mount Ayliff area. Today, that department came again and
again and again but will not divulge the information that we
actually wanted. So, I’m not really surprised. You know,
corruption, rooting, fruitless expenditure, wasteful
expenditure is the order of the day.
Currently, as we stand, Chairperson, and you look at the
statistics, 3 million households do not have access to
reliable drinking water and 14,1 million people do not have
access to safe sanitation. Only 64% of households have access
to reliable water supply. Now, more than 20% of South Africans
do not have access to safe sanitation. I mean, how long are we
going to go out without? Let me give you a good example,
Chairperson. Eight years ago, eThekwini had a water loss of
27%, today it’s sitting as good as 50% water loss.
How are you going to deal with the challenges that people are
facing? The flood is only an excuse on what is actually
happened. The infrastructure in eThekwini alone had been


 
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crumbling. Let me tell you, the area of Nongoma in the
Zululand District, people have to walk up to seven kilometers
Chairperson, 28 years into democracy, to get some water and we
think it is okay. Clearly, I think there’s a lot of work needs
to be done. Now look at the investigation of the corruption in
this department that started by the previous Minister,
Minister Sisulu, and suddenly this entire thing appears to be
getting suppressed. Why? Why is this investigation not being
accelerated so those people that are corrupt and looting are
brought to book? I think it is time that we change the way we
conduct ourselves, hon Chairperson.
Hon Chair, we talk about pit toilets, it continues unabated. I
got a call the other day from Mandlamasha Combined Primary
School, near Dundee in KwaZulu-Natal, where they have been
told that the department is not going to be able to provide
them any assistance and deal with those toilets and the water
problems that they’re having in those areas. Now, how long are
we going to continue with this? How long are we going to
employ the very same people? That is why I said, if you’re
going to deal with the challenges of the flooding in KwaZulu-
Natal, you can put an oversight committee, you can put
billions of rands, you are relying on exactly the same


 
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expertise and skills that people who have been failing us year
in and year out. So, how are you going to actually make any
difference?
The National Freedom Party supporting this Budget Vote is not
doing it because we believe there is fantastic piece of work
being done, but in order to be able to make progress, of
course you going to need the budget, but I think a lot of us
... [Time expired.] ... Thank you.
Mr N MYBURGH: Thank you, House Chair. Hon members, it is my
great honour today to address this House for the first time,
and I feel privileged to be speaking in this particular debate
since water is surely the most valuable resource of them all!
As we all know, water and sanitation determines both the
survival and the dignity of every human being, it is non-
negotiable, and yet today we are facing a looming water
crisis, which has the potential to make the Eskom fiasco look
like a minor hiccup.
One can only hope that the recent appointment of not only a
new Minister, but also a new Director-General and chief


 
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executive officer will bring renewed purpose and direction to
a department which has until recently excelled in the fields
of maladministration, fraud and theft on a scale seldom seen
before.
This is a department, hon members, where literally billions of
Rands has gone missing, R37 billion according to some
estimate, money that should have been spent on national water
security for all through infrastructure development.
Now the most recent Blue Drop and Green Drop reports tell an
alarming story all on its own, with the Western Cape
predictably as usual, the only glimmer of hope in the wake of
massive failure elsewhere in the country. Support and
intervention is required in order to avert both a
human and an environmental disaster.
And when it comes to the various water entities across the
country, the story doesn’t get any better. Take for example,
the Overberg Water Board where its failure to provide water
affordable and reliable to the agricultural sector is posing a
serious risk to the economic prospects of that entire region.


 
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Hon members, the truth of the matter is that South Africa does
in fact have enough water. We are blessed with abundant
sources of water which, if managed correctly, will sustain us
well into the future. But what is equally true is that water
is being wasted on a massive scale, revenues are not
collected, and little to no consequence management is being
implemented. And so interestingly precisely one hundred and
twenty years ago, we heard about some in this House, and an
icon of failed state everywhere none other than Vladimir
Lenin, posed the following question when he asked: “What is to
be done?” Now though Lenin usually came up with the wrong
answers, at least he understood at that moment that drastic
action was required.
And so Mr Speaker, as always the DA today wishes to help and
assist the Minister and his department in coming up with the
right answers. We are after all a Party that believes in
constructive engagement.
We want to see Water and Sanitation succeed because we want to
see South Africa succeed. We believe therefore, at a bare
minimum, that the following needs to be done by the
department: Firstly, support and intervention at


 
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municipalities to be prioritised where there is evidence of
good governance and decent financial management. In other
words, first help those who have demonstrated a track-record
of good governance.
Secondly, demonstrate your commitment to human dignity by
eradicating the bucket system everywhere in South Africa one
and for all.
Thirdly, clean-up corruption, expedite disciplinary processes,
and in addition initiate civil and criminal court proceedings
against not only those officials that have resigned or run
away, but also against those politicians who have been fired
or redeployed.
Fourthly, dramatically increase expenditure on mega
infrastructure development. And as a government, stop treating
the private sector as your enemy because they are not.
Instead, establish meaningful long-term Public Private
Partnerships in order to augment accelerated infrastructure
development.


 
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And finally, implement plans and measures to improve revenue
collection and to recover monies owed to the department and
entities.
Hon members, if these few simple patriotic steps are taken it
will go a very long way towards meeting the nation’s
legitimate expectations for water security and clean
government.
In conclusion, House Chair, I know someone like it or not, I
wish to remind the House that Winston Churchill remarked many
years ago that the best investment anyone can make is to put
milk into a baby. Now whilst that still true today as far as
infants are concerned, I am convinced that we can all agree
that in South Africa today surely the best investment we can
make is to put clean and affordable water into every
household. Let us now do that with a new convention and
determination because we owe it to the people of this country.
Thank you, Chair.
Ms G TSEKE: Thank you, Chair, good morning hon members,
colleagues and other guests,


 
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Setswana:
Motl. Modulasetulo, morago ga gore mokgatlho wa ANC o tsenye
puso ka ngwaga wa 1994, o ntse o tsweletse pele ka go
diragatsa kgang ya phetoloso loago go tlisa botshelo jo bo
botoka jwa botlhe. Re tshegetsa tekanyetsokabo e ya dimilione
di le 17, jaaka e tlhagisitswe ke Tona ya Lefapha la Metsi le
Kgelelo Leswe, gonne re a itse gore se se tsamaisana le moana
wa phetolo wa go tshosolosa serodume sa maAforikaborwa ka go
fitlhelela metsi le kgelelo leswe kwa ntle ga dikgoreletsi.
English:
Chairperson, it is unacceptable that after 28 years into our
democracy, we still hear formal housing using bucket system.
Our government had planned to eradicate the bucket system in
the formal housing by the year 2014. However, the target
wasn’t achieved. According the department’s Annual Performance
Plan, only 10 798 bucket toilets are remaining in informal
housing, and this will be eradicated by the end of this
financial year, March 2023.
As the ANC in the portfolio committee, we have recommended
that the department provide a detailed action plan and further
said that the department must submit quarterly progress report


 
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towards achieving these targets by March 2023. As the ANC, we
take seriously the issue of the bucket system and with that,
we have recommended in the portfolio committee that the
department must, with collaboration with Cooperative
Governance and Traditional Affairs, COGTA and the Department
of Human Settlement, also regulate the mushrooming of informal
settlement by allocating well suitable land with social
amenities, such as water and sanitation services.
Furthermore, we said that this department must expedite the
development of a National Sanitation Framework as a guiding
document in the provision of adequate sanitation services. We
are aware that many of the challenges we experience in the
provision of adequate sanitation and water infrastructure, is
due to the impact of migration of people from rural to urban
areas. The migration of people to urban centres, puts a strain
in the existing infrastructure of the receiving municipalities
due to the limited human and financial resources to provide
every household with adequate water and sanitation
infrastructure.
Water is not only important because it is a constitutional
imperative, it is also an economic resource for socio-economic


 
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development of our country. Just like any other resource in
this country, its distribution has been skewed as a result of
the legacy of colonialism and apartheid. The ANC government,
through the Department of Water and Sanitation has resolved to
address this skewed water resource distribution also, by
transforming irrigation boards into water user associations.
For too long, white commercial farmers have had an advantage
in the distribution of water resources. By transforming these
irrigation boards, we are hopeful that the historically
disadvantaged individuals. The Africans, Coloureds, women and
people with disabilities will now equitably share in the water
resources which are closer to their areas of residence.
Furthermore, the President during his state of the nation
address earlier this year, has committed that the department
and its entities must reduce the backlog of water use licences
by 80% by June this year. We fully support this commitment to
reduce the water use licence application backlog. In our view,
this has the potential to stimulate even economic growth in
our country we so much need, and in turn will create job
opportunities.


 
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The ANC will monitor the implementation of this 90 days
processing of water user licence by demanding quarterly
reports to be presented even to our portfolio committee. In
addition to that, we further requested details of the socio-
economic impact outcome of the transformation of this
irrigation water boards, to water user association. The ANC
government has prioritised infrastructure development economic
recovery and reconstruction post COVID-19. To demonstrate this
commitment in delivering adequate infrastructure, the
department has allocated 69% of this Budget to the
construction of the renewed infrastructure, rehabilitation and
refurbishment of existing infrastructure.
This year alone, the department and its entities is
undertaking 193 ... [Inaudible.] ... infrastructure projects
that are in construction phase, while another in regional
infrastructure programme are to be completed by the end of
this financial year. A further 294 services infrastructure
projects are under the construction phase with a further 115
water services infrastructure projects to be completed before
the end of this financial year. There is no doubt of the ANC
government’s commitment in restoring our people’s dignity
through proper water and sanitation services.


 
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Hon members, the ANC believes that the Catchment Management
Agency and the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority, TCTA has a huge
role in the transformation agenda of our country and the
construction industry in particular. We welcome the commitment
of Breede-Gouritz Catchment Management Agency in allocating an
amount of R15 million for procurement designated groups,
women, youth and people with disabilities. In addition, the
Inkomati-Usuthu Catchment Management Agency has also allocated
an amount of 30 million for procurement of these designated
groups for this financial year.
The portfolio committee was forthright with these catchment
agencies that they must report back to the committee on how
they intend to create much more needed jobs in our country.
The TCTA also with its huge budget allocation, is responsible
for financing and implementing bulk raw water development in
our country. In addition to the Lesotho Highlands Water
Project, which the committee visited in the previous year, ...
engaged in other water projects which includes, amongst
others, the ACID mine drainage, Mokolo Crocodile Water
Augmentation Project in Olifants River, resource development
and others.


 
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We welcome too the Budget allocated to Mzimvubu Water Projects
which will provide water and other economic activities to
thousands of people in the Eastern Cape. We support you
Minister. As much as this project is long overdue, but really,
as the portfolio committee, we support you. We note also the
Budget that is allocated to this big project. We had observed
that the participation of black-owned companies is limited
within the procurement spend of the TCTA. We therefore
recommend that the department and the TCTA should provide a
detailed report on how they are going to ensure that the
transformation agenda of the country find expression even in
this entity.
Hon members, corruption in government and our entities has
become the order of the day.
Setswana:
Batho ba itseela, ga ba sa utswa. Madi a, ke madi a batlhoki.
MaAforika a batla ditirelo mo nageng ya rona.
English:
Politicians are colluding with private sector just to collapse
the state. Corruption in this nature is anti-revolutionary. It


 
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erodes trust in government and undermines the social contract.
Corruption impedes investment with consequence effect on
economic growth. We therefore as the members of the ANC,
supports Minister Mchunu and the Department of Water and
Sanitation in ensuring that all those who have been ...
[Inaudible.] ... on acts of fraud and corruption face the
might of the law of our country.
Your reports Minister, gives hope to the nation. We therefore
support you in making sure that the money which is stolen from
the poor are paid back. All officials who resigned prior to
the start of the disciplinary actions must be brought to book.
We therefore support the SIU in making sure that they fast
track the cases of fraud and corruption before them and report
back to the portfolio committee.
Hon Shaik Emam, I think it is important that you attend the
committee meetings. We have received progress report from the
department and the Minister, that as we are speaking currently
- yes we acknowledge that the department was in Hollywood for
many years - people have been acting, your Director-General,
your Chief Financial Officer and so forth. But since the
Minister was appointed or was deployed in that department, in


 
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December, they have been able to appoint the Director-General
Philips. He is here. He is on the ground working. He is
working. You must join him.
The CFO has been appointed, Ntate Frans Moatshe. He is at
work. You must join him. Different Deputy Director Generals,
corporate, regulations, water services, are appointed but you
are trying to grandstand in misleading the nation. As we are
speaking, top management has been filled in the department.
Hollywood is gone. No more acting. The Minister is serious
about taking the work of this department serious. So we must
be able to attend our meetings.
As for hon Myburgh, I agree with you. You are still new in
that department. We welcome you. As much as you are raising
genuine issues, but you are new. I think that you must work
closely with hon Leon. He has been a member since 2014. He
understands issues and we work very well with him.
As for the EFF, we had hoped that you have gone beyond
political ... [Inaudible.] ... but it is clear that there are
serious challenges to getting into the ... [Inaudible.] ... of
robust debate. Is it not hypocrisy that you do not support


 
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this Budget Vote while you claim to be pro-poor. Nevertheless,
we will embrace you as the ANC. The ANC never gets tired. As
for the matter you have raised in Musina, we have just
received updates hon Minister, the media briefing, just now on
the 13; that the main pipeline that has been prepared in
Musina and the water supply has started flowing yesterday. No
lying area received water, whilst water could not reach high
lying areas. As we are speaking, the municipality is on the
ground trying to address this matter. We therefore request
that the department must be on the ground in making sure that
the communities of Musina are getting water.
Hon members, our role is to ensure that the ANC government
restores the dignity of our people through the provision of
quality water and sanitation. Hon Minister, one speaker once
said:
You will never reach your destination if you stop and
throw stones at every dog that barks.
But nonetheless, as long as you are stationery, no one will
complain, nor utter a single wind. Dogs don’t bark at parked
cars. They are barking at a moving car. So continue, Minister.


 
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The ANC has given you a mandate to implement. Which is that of
bettering the lives of our people. Continue, Minister. We, as
the ANC, we fully support Budget Vote 41. Water is life.
Sanitation is dignity. Thank you very much.
The MINISTER OF WATER AND SANITATION: Thank you very much
Chair. With everything said and done, it’s now time to
indicate what budget we have to implement all this.
Firstly, the department and the water trading entity have been
allocated a combined budget of R111, 256 billion over the
medium term expenditure framework. This consists of
allocations of R34,976 billion in the MTEF that is 2022/23,
2023/24 and 2024/25 respectively. The department’s budget
consists of two components, the main account and the trading
account.
The main account of the department has been allocated
R59 billion over the MTEF and this consists of 18,5, 20,1 and
20,9 over the three-year period. The main account budget
includes conditional infrastructure grants for municipality
services totalling 37,4 over the MTEF, it includes R19 billion


 
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for the regional bulk that is R-BIC and R14 billion for the
water services infrastructure.
Other grant will be spent on 113 different projects across the
country which the grant being allocated to 200 projects across
the country.
Hon members, it as an unormal which I would like us to note
that municipal water services continue to decline while we
make these very substantial grant allocations. Now, mark my
words, we are going to stop this going forward through
necessary interventions of wanting to deliver water.
What makes the difference between the ANC and opposition
parties like EFF as other members of the portfolio committee
and NA have indicated, it is the delivery of water to
communities that require budgets not slogans. It is
regrettable that they reject the budget yet point at
challenges of water which requires budget.
We are however, wide awake to everything that everybody is
complaining about, corruption and inefficiency and we agree
that these must go. We are committed to managing this budget


 
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responsibly and effectively. We have instructed our accounting
officer and the team to ensue all compliance and improvements
on unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful
expenditure. Those must go.
As a result of these, no new unauthorised expenditure was
incurred in 2021/22, irregular expenditure which is still
appearing at the department’s audited audit reports relates
mainly to the, contractual obligation from prior periods. We
are determined to comply with treasury prescripts and to spend
money responsibly, efficiently and effectively.
Hon members, the department has underspent on its allocated
budget particularly that is historical on the budget allocated
to infrastructure and these two must go under expenditure. Of
course this is unacceptable and that’s why the director
generals instructed to make improvements in this area.
I will proceed to the issues of corruption, which is quite a
concern and we are up to fighting corruption with all our
engines and we will spin our efforts in doing this and we will
succeed. It is for this reason that we first concentrated on


 
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VOTE NO 41 – WATER AND SANITATION
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appointing responsible people who will be able to account to
the ministry at all times.
So, we now have the director general appointed, we have the
CFO, Chief Finance Officer, fully appointed, we have a DDG,
Deputy Director General, corporate services fully appointed,
water resource management fully appointed, we have a DDG water
resource management fully appointed as recently as Wednesday
this week and then DDG in regulations and compliances also
appointed this Wednesday. The only DDG that is not filled is
that of infrastructure due to problem that we are resolving.
Now, these people as a team will act as a buffer and a barrier
to a large extend to these inefficiencies that I’ve indicated.
Now, everything in terms of investigations that are currently
both internally and externally by SIU, Special Investigating
Unit, SAPS, SA Police Service, and any other agency will be
followed to the last drop and the last crossing of the tin.
There’s nothing to be swept under the carpet, there’s nothing
ignored and this includes of course those who resign and run
away. We will follow them until the end including in terms of
what they will have in their accounts when they resign civilly


 
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and in terms of criminality. We will follow them in that
regard, follow each and every cent of the state and recoup it.
I just want say to the Nelson Mandela Bay people, you need to
be warned that we have added 70 mega litres per day via
Nooitgedacht which was just completed and gave them the first
drop by the end of March.
Despite this, there are still accute shortages of water.
People need to conserve water. That’s a very strong warning
that we need to send to them, as well as individual households
and companies. There is scarcity of water and while we are
exploring other means, please conserve water.
I want to guarantee that we will go on to improve water
safety. It is for this reason that we commission this report
when the last one was done in 2013 and that is the Green Drop
and is now our baseline going forward. Next year March, we
will be releasing the Blue Drop report and that too will be
our baseline. We do not want to issue out wrong messages; we
want to base our report on water quality based on evidence.
Going forward, we will ensure that we improve in this regard.


 
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VOTE NO 41 – WATER AND SANITATION
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Finally, it is true that infrastructure is the problem and we
have to work on this matter drastically with municipalities
who are the ones responsible for such infrastructure.
I urge hon members that all the time when it comes to
corruption including media, to use their freedom but to speak
on audited, authentic and factual accurate information not on
just wild alarmist statements. Thank you very much to the
members of the portfolio committee and the Members of
Parliament. Thank you very much.
Sesotho:
Re ya leboha.
Debate concluded
The Mini-Plenary session rose at 11:56

 


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