Water & Sanitation

2014-12-03

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Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 3007

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 21 NOVEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 28)

3007. Mrs Z B N Balindlela (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

Whether, with regard to the implementation of the Use of Official Language Policy Act, Act 12 of 2012 and since the reply of the Minister of Arts and Culture to question 990 on 6 June 2013, her department implemented the Act; if not, when will the Act be implemented; if so, which languages have been adopted as official languages of her department? NW3651E

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REPLY:

The Department has commenced with the implementation of the use of Official Language Act, (Act 12 of 2012). The language office is located within the office of the Director-General and the adopted languages include: English, Tswana, Zulu and Afrikaans.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 2973

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 21 NOVEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 28)

2973. Mr P G Atkinson (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

Whether she intends to pay bonuses to staff in her department; if so, (a) what criteria has been used to award bonuses, (b) how many staff members will be receiving bonuses, (c) what total amount will be spent on staff bonuses and (d) was this amount budgeted for? NW3617E

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REPLY:

Yes, I am intending to pay bonuses to the qualifying employees.

(a) The criteria used to award bonuses is as follows:

· Quarterly performance reviews conducted by supervisors and employees to conclude quarterly assessments and agree on the ratings based on the performance of the employee, in line with signed performance agreements.

· Branch Moderation Committee meetings for NON-SMS members have been held and concluded moderation process.

· Moderation Committee for SMS Members has been approved by the Minister. SMS moderation committee is currently in a process of concluding performance awards process for level 13 and 14 SMS members.

· Moderation Committee for level 15 SMS members is currently in a process of meeting to conclude performance awards for level 15 SMS members.

· Moderation Committee when recommending for performance awards takes into consideration the following:

o Annual performance (non-financial) report for the Department for 2013/2014

o Annual performance financial report for the Department for 2013/2014

o MPAT report

(b) The estimated number of officials to receive performance bonuses is 1439 out of the establishment of 7337. Out of 19.6% only 8% is estimated for SMS members which is still to be determined by the outcomes of the moderation process.

(d) Yes, the amount was budgeted for in line with the 1.5% of the compensation remuneration budget as prescribed by the DPSA, which is R 30 6790 20.00, there will be surplus of R 16 568 828 which will return to Treasury.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 2941

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 21 NOVEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 28)

2941. Mrs B Z N Balindlela (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

With reference to her reply to question 1715 on 13 November 2014, for each (a) river pan, (b) wetland and (c) river where mining operations have been allowed, what is the size in hectares of each mine? NW3585E

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REPLY:

The response to question 1715 on 13 November 2014 was adequately responded to by My Department.

I recommend that you refer this question to the Ministry of Mineral Resources who would be in a better position to provide the size in hectares of each mine.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 2908

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 21 NOVEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 28)

2908. Ms Z B N Balindlela (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

Whether, with reference to her reply to question 394 for oral reply on 13 November 2014 and given the Supreme Court of Appeal's finding in Midi Television (Pty) Ltd and the Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions in 2007, she can indicate in what way substantial prejudice to the administration of justice could occur if the names of the mines are published; if not, what are the names of the mines who were operating without valid water use licenses as at 1 November 2014; if so, what are the relevant details? NW3551E

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REPLY:

The answer to the above question is supplementary to the oral answer provided on
13 November 2014, in lieu of the quoted SCA decision: -

The disclosure of the requested information will unduly compromise the Department and has as a result been classified as sensitive/highly confidential by the Department, due to the fact that the majority of names of the alleged mines who are operating without valid water use licenses are still "suspected perpetrators" and are currently under investigation for both administrative and criminal action. Disclosing the information (the names of the mines), prematurely will constitute unfair administrative justice on account of procedural unfairness i.e violation of the right to fair trial and an accused Constitutional right in respect of the presumption of innocence.

It is on the aforementioned premise that the Department respectfully declines the disclosure of the requested information.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 2907

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 21 NOVEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 28)

2907. Mr L J Basson (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(1) With reference to her reply to a follow-up question to question 346 for oral reply on 13 November 2014 (details furnished), (a) what are the names of the 167 mines for which water use licenses were finalised by 31 October 2014 and (b) on what date was each water use licence finalised;

(2) did the 167 mines for which water use licenses were finalised include each of the 104 mines who were operating without water use licenses as indicated in her reply to question 1716 on 7 October 2014; if not, how many of the 104 were still operating without valid water used licenses as at 31 October 2014? NW3550E

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REPLY:

(1) The names of the mines cannot be disclosed due to the confidentiality agreement between the Department and the applicants.

(2) The response regarding the 98 mines was adequately responded to in Oral 394 on 13 November 2014.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 2774

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 14 NOVEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 27)

2774. Mr D C Ross (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(1) Whether she received an invitation to the wedding of Vega Gupta and Aakash Jahajgarhia; if so,

(2) whether she attended any of the wedding festivities between 30 April and 3 May 2013; if so,

(3) whether she stayed overnight at the venue; if so, (a) what accommodation did he use, (b) who paid for the said accommodation, (c) what mode of transport did she use to attend the wedding festivities and (d) who paid for the travel costs? NW3426E

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REPLY:

(1) No, I have not receive an invitation to the wedding of Vega Gupta and Aakash Jahajgarhia.

(2) Falls away.

(3) Falls away.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 2733

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 14 NOVEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 27)

2733. Dr A Lotriet (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

Did (a) her department and/or (b) any entities reporting to it owe money to any Gauteng municipalities at the end of the 2013-14 financial year; if so, in respect of each specified municipality (i) what is the name of the municipality, (ii) what was the total amount owed, (iii) what was the nature of the debt, (iv) for how long has the debt been outstanding and (v) what plans are in place to recover the debt owed to the municipality by (aa) her department and/or (bb) any entities reporting to it? NW3382E

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REPLY:

(a) The Department of Water and Sanitation did not owe monies to any municipality in the Gauteng Province as at the end of 2013/14 financial year, but two of the entities reporting to the Minister of Water and Sanitation, namely, Rand Water and Magalies Water did owe monies to municipalities within Gauteng at the end of 2013/14 financial year.

(b) The table below provides responses to all questions in sequence.

No.	(a) Name of owing entity	(a)(i) Name of Municipality	(a)(ii)Total amount owed	(a)(iii) What was the nature of the debt	(a)(iv) How long the debt has been outstanding	(a)(v) Plans in place to recover the debt owed to municipality
1	Magalies Water	City of Tshwane	R856 368, 60	Electricity	30 days	Account has been fully paid
2.1	Rand Water	City of Johannesburg	R 2 770, 00	Rates and Taxes	30 days	The debt has been fully paid. The reason for the non-payment was due to the fact that the City of Johannesburg was not loaded on the line system in order for Rand Water to process the payment. The matter was resolved and payment made.
2.2	Rand Water	Ekurhuleni	R 2 440, 00	Rates and Taxes	30 days	The debt has been fully paid. The reason for the non-payment was due to the fact that the City of Johannesburg was not loaded on the line system in order for Rand Water to process the payment. The matter was resolved and payment made.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 2697

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 14 NOVEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 27)

2697. Mrs Z B N Balindlela (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

Is she aware of the water crisis currently being experienced by Komaggas and Buffelsrivier in the NamaKoi Municipality; if not, when will she launch an investigation into this water crisis; if so, (a) what (i) is her department doing to remedy the situation, (ii) is the extent of the water crisis and (iii) support is her department providing for inhabitants of the affected areas and (b) when will the water crisis be resolved? NW3344E

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REPLY:

The Department is aware of the current water supply situation prevailing in Komaggas in the Nama Khoi Municipality.

(a)(i) The Department through its accelerated community infrastructure programme assisted the Nama Khoi Municipality with a full assessment of the groundwater supply system in Komaggas. In line with the findings of the assessment completed in October 2014, two boreholes in Komaggas will be rehabilitated to augment the current water supply.

(a)(ii) Buffelsrivier is not experiencing any water supply problems.

In Komaggas households in high-lying areas are affected by intermittent water supply. The intermittent water supply is as a result of a decline in borehole yields and the water pressure from the reservoir being insufficient to reach the high-lying areas.

(a) (iii) The Nama Khoi Municipality is currently using water tankers to supply affected households in Komaggas with water.

(b) It is estimated that water supply (from the groundwater supply system) to affected households in Komaggas will be restored by 30 November 2014. The Department under its Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant programme is funding the refurbishment and upgrading of the Namakwa Bulk Water Supply Scheme and intends extending this pipeline, supplying water from the Orange River, to Komaggas and Buffelsrivier. The estimated completion date of the Namakwa bulk water supply scheme is March 2018.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 2691

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 14 NOVEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 27)

2691. Mr L J Basson (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

With reference to her reply to question 590 on 27 August 2014 regarding the water use license applications (WULAs) that are still in progress, (a) what (i) are the names of the applicants and (ii) usage they have applied for and (b) when will the backlog of WULAs be dealt with? NW3338E

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REPLY:

(a)(i) The names of the applicants cannot be disclosed since the applications are under consideration and the Department has a duty to maintain confidentiality.

(a)(ii) The Water Use Licenses applied for are given in general and are in terms of section 21(a) to (k) of the National Water Act, 1998:-

· taking water from a water resource;

· storing water;

· impeding or diverting the flow of water in a watercourse;

· engaging in a stream flow reduction activity contemplated in section 36;

· engaging in a controlled activity identified as such in section 37(1) or declared under section 38(1);

· discharging waste or water containing waste into a water resource through a pipe, canal, sewer, sea outfall or other conduit;

· disposing of waste in a manner which may detrimentally impact on a water resource;

· disposing in any manner of water which contains waste from, or which has been heated in, any industrial or power generation process;

· altering the bed, banks, course or characteristics of a watercourse;

· removing, discharging or disposing of water found underground if it is necessary for the efficient continuation of an activity or for the safety of people; and

· using water for recreational purposes.

(b) The backlog of Water Use Licenses was cleared at the end of October 2014; the actual process of evaluation was completed at the end of October 2014. The Department is currently in the process of completing the administration which includes the process of sign off on the record of recommendation and licenses by the delegate authorities within the Department.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 2690

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 14 NOVEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 27)

2690. Mr L J Basson (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(1) Whether, with reference to her reply to question 1302 on 22 October 2014, her department has acted upon the (a) recommendations and (b) findings in the report on the failure of water supply in the Madibeng Municipality; if not, why not; if so, (i) which recommendations and findings has her department acted upon and (ii) what are the relevant details;

(2) whether she can indicate in what way are the police investigations impacting on the finalisation of the report;

(3) when will the report be made available? NW3337E

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REPLY:

The report and the findings have been finalised. Refer to Annexure A for a summary of the findings and recommendations.

The Department has requested Magalies Water Board to assist with the failure of water supply in the Madibeng Municipality.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 2596

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 14 NOVEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 27)

2596. Mrs Z B N Balindlela (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

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REPLY

The Department has spent the following on promotional magazines for the mentioned financial years:

(a) Financial year 2011/2012 the Department spent R 310 900.80.

(b) Financial year 2012/2013 the Department spent R 827 947.34.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 2510

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 07 NOVEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 25)

2510. Mr L J Basson (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(1) Whether her department has ever laid any criminal charges against the Vierfontein mine in the Olifantsriver in Mpumalanga; if so, (a) on what date was the charges laid, (b) what are each of the case numbers and (c) what was the charge in each case;

(2) who are the (a) directors and (b) shareholders of the mining company who manages the specified mine? NW3107E

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REPLY:

(1) Yes, the Department has laid criminal charges against the Vierfontein Mine.

(1)(i) A case was opened on 01 February 2012.

(1)(b) The Department is not permitted by the National Prosecuting Authority to disclose the case numbers of any case. The matter is sub judice. Due to the sensitivity and confidentiality of the matter pending finalisation of the criminal prosecution processes.

(1)(c) The charges were in accordance with sections 19, 20, 53 read with Section 151 (a) (i) of the National Water Act which relate to (a) use water other than as permitted under this Act and (i) unlawfully and intentionally or negligently commit any act or omission which pollutes or is likely to pollute a water resource.

(2)(a) The Department is not permitted to disclose the information of the directors of the mine.

(2)(b) The Department is not permitted to disclose the information of the shareholders of the mine.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 2452

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 07 NOVEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 25)

2452. Ms Z B N Balindlela (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

How many work days has her department lost to (a) sick leave and (b) strike action in the (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13 and (iii) 2013-14 financial years? NW3045E

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REPLY:

Work days	(i) 2011/12	(ii) 2012/13	(iii) 2013/14
(a) Sick leave days	37 545	35 087	42 960
(b) Strike leave days	0	0	0

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 2419

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 07 NOVEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 25)

2419. Mrs Z B N Balindlela (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(a) What was the total remuneration of (i) board members, (ii) nonexecutive directors and (iii) executive directors of each entity reporting to her in the (aa) 2011-12, (bb) 2012-13 and (cc) 2013-14 financial years and (b) how many times did each board meet in the specified financial years? NW3011E

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REPLY:

Refer to table below for the total remuneration of board members and executive directors. It should be note that board members are non-executive directors.

Entity	(a)(i)(ii)Total remuneration for board member/non executive director	(iii) Executive Directors including bonuses	(b) Number of board meetings
Amatola Water	(aa) R 636 135.99 (bb) R 584 687.11 (cc) R 624 510	(aa) R1 140 110.56 (bb) R1 784 190.96 (cc) R1 972 002.64	(aa) 4 (bb) 5 (cc) 8
Bloem Water	(aa) R 567 777 (bb) R 495 239 (cc) R 280 605	(aa) R1 386 426 (bb) R 1 498 505 (cc) R 1 791 323	(aa) 8 (bb) 8 (cc) 7
Lepelle Northern Water	(aa) R 2 156 000 (bb) R 2 279 000 (cc) No Board Members	(aa) R 1 504 000 (bb) R 1 721 000 (cc) No Board Members	(aa)5 (bb) 6 (cc) None
Magalies Water	(aa) R 1 066 000 (bb) R 1 242 000 (cc) R 1 363 000	(aa) R 1 491 000 (bb) R 2 185 000 (cc) R 2 043 000	(aa) 6 (bb) 6 (cc)7
Mhlathuze Water	(aa) R 1 666 000 (bb) R 1 894 000 (cc) R 1 767 000	(aa) R 1 617 000 (bb) R 1 903 000 (cc) R1 200 000	(aa) 4 (bb) 5 (cc) 4
Entity	(a)(i)(ii)Total remuneration for board member/non executive director	(iii) Executive Directors including bonuses	(b) Number of board meetings
Overberg Water	(aa) R 440 514 (bb) R 525 169.13 (cc) None	(aa) R 1 079 961 (bb) R 1 266 914.91 (cc) None	(aa) 7 (bb) 5 (cc) 6
Rand Water	(aa) R 4 828 000 (bb) R 6 412 000 (cc) R 5 290 000	(aa) R 4 431 000 (bb) R 5 321 000 (cc) R 5 333 000	(aa) 11 (bb) 9 (cc)10
Sedibeng Water	(aa) R 197 000 (bb) R 190 000 (cc) R 1 544 000	(aa) R 2 110 000 (bb) R 2 914 000 (cc) R 3 042 000	(aa) 5 (bb) 4 (cc) 7
Umgeni Water	(aa) R 4 270 000 (bb) R 4 049 000 (cc) R 3 560 000	(aa) R 1 368 000 (bb) R 2 393 000 (cc) R 2 726 000	(aa) 10 (bb) 10 (cc) 8
WRC	(aa) R 392 305.00 (bb) R 479 918.00 (cc) R 437 416.00	(aa) R 705 250.00 (bb) R 1 680 825 (cc) R 1 984 796	(aa) 5 (bb) 5 (cc) 6
TCTA	(aa) R 5 674 000 (bb) R 5 812 000 (cc) R 5 988 000	(aa) R 5 014 000 (bb) R 3 505 000 (cc) R 3 911 000	(aa) 5 (bb) 4 (cc) 3
Inkomati-Usuthu CMA	(aa) R 995 058 (bb) 1 151 716 (cc) 1 764 079	(aa) R 3 398 145 (bb) R 3 600 589 (cc) R 2 992 280	(aa) 8 (bb) 6 (cc) 8
Breede-Gouritz CMA	(aa) R 380 967 (bb) R 400 772 (cc) R 517 500	(aa) R 2 437 736 (bb) R 2 774 157 (cc) R 2 980 201	(aa) 4 (bb) 4 (cc) 4

Entity

(a)(i)(ii)Total remuneration for board member/non executive director

(iii) Executive Directors including bonuses

(b) Number of board meetings

Amatola Water

(aa) R 636 135.99

(bb) R 584 687.11

(cc) R 624 510

(aa) R1 140 110.56

(bb) R1 784 190.96

(cc) R1 972 002.64

(aa) 4

(bb) 5

(cc) 8

Bloem Water

(aa) R 567 777

(bb) R 495 239

(cc) R 280 605

(aa) R1 386 426

(bb) R 1 498 505

(cc) R 1 791 323

(aa) 8

(bb) 8

(cc) 7

Lepelle Northern Water

(aa) R 2 156 000

(bb) R 2 279 000

(cc) No Board Members

(aa) R 1 504 000

(bb) R 1 721 000

(cc) No Board Members

(aa)5

(bb) 6

(cc) None

Magalies Water

(aa) R 1 066 000

(bb) R 1 242 000

(cc) R 1 363 000

(aa) R 1 491 000

(bb) R 2 185 000

(cc) R 2 043 000

(aa) 6

(bb) 6

(cc)7

Mhlathuze Water

(aa) R 1 666 000

(bb) R 1 894 000

(cc) R 1 767 000

(aa) R 1 617 000

(bb) R 1 903 000

(cc) R1 200 000

(aa) 4

(bb) 5

(cc) 4

Entity

(a)(i)(ii)Total remuneration for board member/non executive director

(iii) Executive Directors including bonuses

(b) Number of board meetings

Overberg Water

(aa) R 440 514

(bb) R 525 169.13

(cc) None

(aa) R 1 079 961

(bb) R 1 266 914.91

(cc) None

(aa) 7

(bb) 5

(cc) 6

Rand Water

(aa) R 4 828 000

(bb) R 6 412 000

(cc) R 5 290 000

(aa) R 4 431 000

(bb) R 5 321 000

(cc) R 5 333 000

(aa) 11

(bb) 9

(cc)10

Sedibeng Water

(aa) R 197 000

(bb) R 190 000

(cc) R 1 544 000

(aa) R 2 110 000

(bb) R 2 914 000

(cc) R 3 042 000

(aa) 5

(bb) 4

(cc) 7

Umgeni Water

(aa) R 4 270 000

(bb) R 4 049 000

(cc) R 3 560 000

(aa) R 1 368 000

(bb) R 2 393 000

(cc) R 2 726 000

(aa) 10

(bb) 10

(cc) 8

WRC

(aa) R 392 305.00

(bb) R 479 918.00

(cc) R 437 416.00

(aa) R 705 250.00

(bb) R 1 680 825

(cc) R 1 984 796

(aa) 5

(bb) 5

(cc) 6

TCTA

(aa) R 5 674 000

(bb) R 5 812 000

(cc) R 5 988 000

(aa) R 5 014 000

(bb) R 3 505 000

(cc) R 3 911 000

(aa) 5

(bb) 4

(cc) 3

Inkomati-Usuthu CMA

(aa) R 995 058

(bb) 1 151 716

(cc) 1 764 079

(aa) R 3 398 145

(bb) R 3 600 589

(cc) R 2 992 280

(aa) 8

(bb) 6

(cc) 8

Breede-Gouritz CMA

(aa) R 380 967

(bb) R 400 772

(cc) R 517 500

(aa) R 2 437 736

(bb) R 2 774 157

(cc) R 2 980 201

(aa) 4

(bb) 4

(cc) 4

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 2372

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 07 NOVEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 25)

2372. Ms A T Lovemore (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(1) Whether the Nqweba Dam wall has been identified to be unsafe; if so, (a) when were the findings made, (b) what are the details of the findings and (c) what danger is posed by the specified dam wall;

(2) (a) when will repairs to the dam wall be carried out, (b) at what cost and (c) at whose cost;

(3) whether the currently planned repairs will fully address the safety concerns; if not, (a) why not and (b) when will the full risk posed by the unsafe dam wall be addressed? NW2964E

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REPLY:

(1)(a) The 2008 Dam Safety Inspection report informed the Camdeboo Local Municipality that the Nqweba Dam was identified as unsafe. The dam was found not to be complying with current stability criteria for concrete gravity dams at full supply level. Due to the risk posed by the dam and the inability of the municipality to do the rehabilitation work accordingly, the Department received ministerial approval (August 2010) to take ownership of the dam and to ensure safety thereof.

(1)(b) The Department of Water and Sanitation's Dam Safety Surveillance engineers are undertaking detailed analysis which will enable them to properly understand the potential failure mode of Nqweba Dam and design remedial action(s). A summary of the studies is outlined below:

· Investigate the effect of hydrostatic uplift pressures on the dam wall to determine whether or not full uplift pressures should be included in the stability calculations.

· A more detailed ground level and silt survey should be done.

· A geotechnical survey should be done to determine the properties of the foundation.

· Install more instrumentation to monitor displacements in the dam wall.

(1)(c) According to the 2008 Dam Safety Inspection report, failure of the dam poses a risk ofhigh potential loss of life of (approximately 2000 people) and economic loss in excess of R 1,2 billion.

(2)(a) The Department is currently monitoring the dam to inform the most appropriate Rehabilitationdesign. The monitoring results from the instruments will be available next year and the rehabilitation design will commence immediately afterwards with construction scheduled to start in 2016.

(2)(b) The cost cannot be determined at this stage until the design is finalised.

(2)(c) The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) will carry the cost under the Dam Safety Rehabilitation Program (DSRP).

(3)(a) The detailed analysis currently underway will fully address all the dam safety issues at Nqweba Dam.

(3)(b) Once construction commences (i.e. 2016), it is envisaged to take 18 months to complete and thus address the dam's safety concern.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 2315

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 07 NOVEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 25)

2315. Mr A M Mpontshane (IFP) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

In view of a question asked during a presentation by her department to the Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation on 27 August 2014, about pipes that were allegedly lying in the veld near Jozini and the response by the Acting Director-General of her department that such pipes would be used for water reticulation, have these pipes been used for the stated purpose; if not, (a) what factors have contributed to the delay in their usage and (b) what steps are being taken to deal with these factors? NW2892E

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REPLY:

In response to the question by the Member during the presentation by the Department to the Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation on the 27 August 2014 the Acting Director-General responded as follows:

The pipes that were reported in the Sunday Times of 17 August 2014 were not purchased with funding from, or administered by the Department of Water and Sanitation.

It has been reported that the pipes were purchased by the Umkhanyakude District Municipality utilising Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) funding over which the Department does not conduct oversight as this is a provincial matter. Refer to Annexure A for the responses provided to the committee by the Department on the matter.

I therefore recommend that you refer this question to the Ministry of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) who would be in a better position to respond to the purchased pipes and the plans thereof.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 2148

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 24 OCTOBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 19)

2148. Adv A de W Alberts (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

Whether, in light of the recent water shortages in Gauteng, she will give consideration to declaring Rand Water and other stategic water entities in the country as national keypoints in order to improve security; if not, (a) why not and (b) what alternatives will be put in place to improve security; if so, what are the relevant details? NW2622E

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REPLY:

(a) No, as a Minister of Water and Sanitation I do not have powers to declare Rand Water or any strategic water institution a National Key Point. This power is vested in the Minister of Defence through the National Key Point Act (Act No. 102 of 1980) and subsequently transferred to Minister of South African Police in 2004. However all the water institutions undertake risk assessments on an annual basis to improve security on water works. In the case of Rand Water, Suikerbosrand water purification works has been declared a National Key Point.

(b) Due to the nature of bulk water supply and location and spread of associated infrastructure, critical components such as electrical supply and the bulk water delivery pipelines which cover vast distances over rural and urban landscape are the most vulnerable. Water boards continue to invest in improved security and technology (fencing, beam system, CCTV cameras) to protect the water works assets that are critical to ensure reliability of supply.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 2087

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 24 OCTOBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 19)

2087. Ms J F Terblanche (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

Does her department make use of the SA National Space Agency's monthly reports on the National Water Base Map, in particular with regard to (a) water use licensing and (b) the monitoring of illegal water dams; if not, why not; if so, how regularly? NW2554E

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REPLY:

(a) No, the National Water Base Map is currently not used by the Department; however the water use licensing function makes use of other remote sensing tools like SPOT 6 (French: Système Pour l'Observation de la Terre), Landsat imagery and topographic maps. As further tools are developed they will be evaluated and considered for implementation.

(b) No, the Department makes use of SPOT 6 and Landsat imagery. The Department is in consultation with the SA National Space Agency on methods to improve datasets as per requirements of the Department. These datasets are requested on a yearly basis and seasonally, based on the planting season and when a possible unlawful water use activity had been identified.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 2062

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 24 OCTOBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 19)

2062. Mrs Z B N Balindlela (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(a) How many copies of her department's annual report for the (i) 2012-13 and (ii) 2013-14 financial years were produced and (b)(i) at what cost were these reports produced and (ii) to whom were these reports circulated? NW2529E

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REPLY:

Refer to the table below for the number and cost for Annual Reports produced for the years in question.

Period	(a) Number of copies	(b)(i)Cost of reports	(b)(ii) Reports circulated to
(a)(i) 2012-13	250 Books and 50 CDs	R 155 047.88	Parliament
(a)(ii) 2013-14	500 Books	R 183 068.88	Parliament

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 2008

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 17 OCTOBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 19)

2008. Adv. A Alberts (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(1) Whether the recent water shortages in Gauteng only came about because of electricity problems, or whether there were other factors which also contributed to the shortages;

(2) what measures has her department introduced to address any future electricity problems that may lead to water supply problems;

(3) whether a study has been undertaken to ensure that all of the country's water infrastructure and systems are being optimally maintained and replaced or extended where necessary; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(4) whether water consumer associations have been established by her and her predecessors since 1 May 2014 in order to achieve community involvement in water affairs; if not, why not; if so, (a) how many associations have been established, (b) when was each association established and (c) what are the (i) aims and (ii) powers of each association? NW2393E

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REPLY:

(1) The recent water shortages in Gauteng came as a result of major electricity failures at Eikenhof, Vereeniging and Palmiet pumping stations from the 15 to 22 September 2014. The situation was made worse because Rand Water was experiencing unprecedented water supply demand beyond what the municipalities in Gauteng had projected which also made the recovery slower.

(2) It is the Departments view that the mandate to supply electricity remains with the electricity suppliers, in this case, Eskom and City Power. The Department together with Rand Water are in consultation with the electricity suppliers and are looking at other options to augment power supply such as hydropower projects that will enhance the electricity networks.

(3) Continuous monitoring of the condition of Department of Water and Sanitation pipelines takes place as well as maintenance. In cases where pipelines need to be refurbished that is put on the budget/planning and done.

(4) The Department has established Water Users' Associations.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 1943

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 17 OCTOBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 19)

1943. Mr L J Basson (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(1) (a) How many engineers does Rand Water have on its staff complement and (b) how many of these hold a professional engineering qualification;

(2) how many of the engineers employed at Rand Water have had their qualifications for (a) 15 years, (b) a period between 10 and 15 years, (c) a period between 5 and 10 years and (d) less than 5 years;

(3) how many engineers has Rand Water retrenched in the past three years;

(4) how many engineers have resigned in the past three years;

(5) how many vacant engineering posts are there at Rand Water? NW2326E

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REPLY:

(1)(a) Rand Water has 35 employees designated as Engineers/Senior Engineers and Consultant Engineers on its staff compliment.

(1)(b) All Rand Water Engineers hold a professional Engineering qualification from a University or a University of Technology. Of these 26 are registered as Professional Engineers (Pr Eng) with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA).

For context it is important to note that there are a total of 287 employees who possess an Engineering qualification.

Employee Category/Type	Number
Engineers-Engineers, Senior Engineers, Consultant Engineers	35 As Above
Technicians/Technologists/Engineering Assistants	185
Managers (With a Technical Qualification)	67

-2-

(2)(a) There are 12 engineers that had their qualifications for over 15 years.

(2)(b) There are 6 engineers that had their qualifications for between 10 to 15 years.

(2)(c) There are 12 engineersthat had their qualifications for between 5 to 10 years.

(2)(d) There are 5 engineers that had their qualifications for less than five years.

(3) None.

(4) Only 1 engineer has resigned in the past three years.

(5) There are 11 vacancies. It should however be noted that of these eleven vacancies, six positions areas a result of business expansion, one is as a result of a resignation, four arose as a result of incumbents being promoted within the organization. These positions have not been filled following the moratorium placed on appointments.

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO 1886

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 17 OCTOBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 19)

1886. Mr M H Redelinghuys (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(a) How many times has her department received a request from the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), in line with section 184(3) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, to provide a report on measures taken by her department towards the realisation of the rights in the Bill of Rights concerning housing, health care, food, water, social security, education and the environment in the (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13 and (iii) 2013-14 financial years, (b) how many times did her department submit such a report to the SAHRC and (c) was each specified report (i) made readily available to the public or (ii) tabled in Parliament? NW2268E

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REPLY:

(a) Refer to the table below:

(a)(i) 2012/13 financial year
Request Received	Subject	Response
18 December 2012	Request for information on the progressive realisation of the right to water	The Department has responded on the request by (SAHRC) on the 14 February 2013.
26 March 2013	Commission's findings and recommendations on the right to access water and sanitation based on provincial hearings on the right to water and sanitation (2012-2013)	The Department through the previous Acting Director-General presented in person before the (SAHRC) in May 2013. The Department later responded in writing to (SAHRC) on the on the 25 August 2013.
(a)(ii) 2013/14 financial year
Request Received	Subject	Response
30 March 2014	Report on the Right to Access Sufficient Water and Decent Sanitation in South Africa: 2014	The Department responded on this report after it was published to Parliament in April 2014.
15 July 2014 D14598	Complaint of social justice coalition against the City of Cape Town	The Department has responded on the request by (SAHRC) on the 15 August 2014

(b) The Department responded four times to all the submissions made by the SAHRC as shown in the above Table 1 of section (a).

(c) The report on the Rights to Access Sufficient Water and Decent Sanitation in South Africa: 2014 was the only report presented by the SAHRC to Parliament on the
11 March 2014 and later made available to the public.

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO 1860

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 26 SEPTEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 18)

1860. Ms J Steenkamp (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(1) Whether her department has ever laid criminal charges against a certain mine (details furnished); if so, (a) when were the charges laid and (b) what (i) are the case numbers and (ii) were the charges;

(2) does the mine have a valid water licence; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

(3) whether her department ever instructed a certain company (name furnished) to stop mining the Weltevredenpan at its Leeupan mine in the catchment area of the Olifants River outside Delmas in Mpumalanga; if not, why not; if so; when were the mining activities stopped? NW2235E

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REPLY:

(1) The Department has not laid any criminal charges against the mine (details furnished).

(2) Yes, the mine does have a valid water license, subject to conditions set by the Department. The license number is: 04/B21A/ABCGIJ/429 and authorises the mine to exercise water uses relating to sections 21(a), 21(b), 21(c), 21(g), 21(i) and 21(j) of the National Water Act, Act 36 of 1998.

(3) Yes, the Department directed the mine to stop mining the Weltevredepan. The mine lodged an appeal to the Water Tribunal, in terms of Section 148 of the National Water Act, 1998, Act 36 of 1998; however, due to the fact that the Water Tribunal was not operational at the time, the mine brought an urgent application against the Department in the North Gauteng High Court to suspend the directive. The Department is conducting ongoing compliance inspections.

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO 1858

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 26 SEPTEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 18)

1858. Mr L J Basson (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(1) Whether her department has ever laid any criminal charges against the Vierfontein Colliery mine in the Free State; if so, (a) on what date was the charges laid, (b) what are each of the case numbers and (c) what was the charge;

(2) who are the (a) directors and (b) shareholders of the mining company who manages the specified mine? NW2233E

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REPLY:

(1) No, the Department has not laid any criminal charges against the Vierfontein Colliery Mine in the Free State as the mine has been decommissioned in 2003.

(2) Falls away.

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO 1858

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 26 SEPTEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 18)

1858. Ms J Steenkamp (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(2) does the mine have a valid water licence; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;

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REPLY:

(1) The Department has not laid any criminal charges against the mine (details furnished).

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO 1857

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 26 SEPTEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 18)

1857. Mr L J Basson (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(1) What is the status of the completion of additional refurbishment on the Rand Uranium Treatment Plant in the Western Basin of the Witwatersrand;

(2) what is the operational capacity of the Central Basin Plant in the Witwatersrand;

(3) has the process of implementing short-term mitigating measures in the Eastern Basin of Witwatersrand been completed; if not, why not; if so, (a) what are the relevant details and (b) what has been the effect of these measures? NW2232E

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REPLY:

(1) The Rand Uranium Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) Treatment Plant in the Witwatersrand's Western Basin was refurbished between December 2011 and May 2012. The Plant is presently treating (neutralising) around 30 mega litres (ML) Acid Mine Drainage daily, whereupon an equivalent volume of the treated water is discharged to the environment.

In terms of an additional refurbishment, work will commence from October 2014 to increase pumping output of the Plant whilst options to increase treatment capacity will be finalised. Work on the additional refurbishment is projected for completion in June 2015.

(2) The Central Basin Acid Mine Drainage Plant has an upper limit capacity to neutralise 84 ML Acid Mine Drainage daily. The plant is however operated at an average rate of 56 ML daily.

(3) Yes, implementation of the short-term mitigating measures for the Witwatersrand's Eastern Basin commenced in June 2014. To date, major site clearance, demolition and backfilling work phases have all been finalised, and civil works is currently underway. The project is scheduled for completion by September 2015, with commissioning planned to occur in December 2015.

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO 1728

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19 SEPTEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 17)

1728. Ms Z B N Balindlela (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

With regard to her reply to question 751 on 19 August 2014, (a) what was the nature of each claim, (b) how did each claim originate, (c) who was the claimant(s) in each case and (d) if applicable, what was the case number for each claim? NW2092E

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REPLY:

The response has been adequately responded to in NA 751 of 19 August 2014. For further information the Member can obtain more information directly from the register of the Labour Court, High Court or the Clerk of the Civil Court in the Magistrate Court as the court files are open for public viewing.

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO 1727

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19 SEPTEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 17)

1727. Mrs Z B N Balindlela (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(1) Is the Brakfontein mine near Dundee in KwaZulu-Natal operational; if not, why not; if so,

(2) whether the mine can be operational without a water licence; if so, what are the relevant details? NW2091E

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REPLY:

(1) No, the Department is not aware of any mine by the name of Brakfontein Mine near the Dundee area.

(2) No, a mine is not allowed to use water without a valid water use licence issued in terms of the National Water Act, 1998. Any mine that commences with the use of water prior to the issuance of a water use licence is considered unlawful.

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO 1716

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19 SEPTEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 17)

1716. Mr L J Basson (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(1) What are the (a) names and (b) locations of mines currently operating without a valid water licence;

(2) whether her department has taken any steps to stop mines from operating without a valid water licence; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details? NW2079E

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REPLY:

(1) As of 25 July 2014, 103 mines are currently operating without valid water use licences (WUL) and out of these 55 have applied for a WUL. Refer to Annexure A for the names and location of mines operating without a valid water license.

(2) Yes, the steps taken by the Department to prevent unauthorised mine operations include issuance of notices, directives and instituting criminal prosecution which in some instances run concurrently.

Eighty one (81) investigations were completed and twenty three (23) cases are in process of being investigated, forty three (43) notices of intention to issue a directive were issued, twelve (12) directives were issued and six (6) criminal cases were opened.

The actual information cannot be furnished because it shall prejudice the outcome of the administrative action and criminal prosecution by the department, which is sub judice according to the National Prosecution Authority.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 1715

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19 SEPTEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 17)

1715. Mr. L J Basson (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

Which (a) river pans, (b) wetlands and (c) rivers has her department allowed to be mined since 1 January 2004? NW2078E

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REPLY:

(a) The Department authorised three (3) river pans to be mined since 1 January 2004. Annexure A provides the summary of the licenses issued.

(b) The Department authorised ten (10) wetlands to be mined since 1 January 2004. Annexure B provides the summary of licenses issued.

(c) The Department authorised forty one (41) rivers to be mined since 1 January 2004. Annexure C provides the summary of licenses issued.

In authorising the mining of rivers, pans and wetlands, the Department is cognisant of its mandate to protect, use, develop, conserve and manage water resources. Hence appropriate conditions for to the protection of the affected water resources are imposed on the licenses issued for these activities in terms of section 29 of the National Water Act.

The conditions cover the monitoring, reporting, implementation of mitigation measures, auditing and rehabilitation of the impacts on the affected water resources.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 1714

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19 SEPTEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 17)

1714. Mr L J Basson (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(1) (a) How many river diversions by mining companies has her department allowed since 1 January 2004, (b) how many hectares of river have been diverted by mining companies since 1 January 2004 and (c) what are the criteria for diverting a river;

(2) whether she has found that there is a capacity for more such diversions? NW2077E

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REPLY:

(1)(a) The Department has authorised forty one (41) rivers to be mined since 1 January 2004.

(1)(b) There are on average, about 106 000 hectares of rivers that have been diverted.

(1)(c) In authorising the diversion of rivers, the Department is cognisant of its mandate to protect, use, develop, conserve and manage water resources, hence appropriate conditions are imposed on the licences issued for these activities in terms of section 29 of the National Water Act, 1998.

(2) The capacity to divert more rivers is determined taking into account a number of factors such as operational requirements of the mine and the environmental limits that need to be considered.

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO 1684

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19 SEPTEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 17)

1684. Ms T E Baker (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(1) How many vacancies exist in the 986 water treatment plants located around the country;

(2) Has an audit been carried out to assess the (a) qualifications and (b) skills of the existing staff at these plants; if not, (a) why not and (b) when will this be carried out; if so,

(3) (a) How many staff were found to not have the requisite (i) qualifications and/or (ii) skill level and (b) what steps have been undertaken to capacitate those who are not suitably qualified? NW2045E

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REPLY:

The response has been adequately responded to in NA 897 of 01 August 2014. For further information the Member can obtain more information directly from the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta).

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO 1626

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19 SEPTEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 17)

1626. Mrs Z B N Balindlela (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(a) Which posts in her department are vacant in the (i) highly skilled, (ii) highly skilled supervision and (iii) senior and top management levels and (b) in each case, what has been the duration of the vacancy? NW1987E

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REPLY:

The new department was proclaimed to be the Department of Water and Sanitation by the

Presidential Proclamation no 43 of 2014. We are currently working on repositioning the

departmental Structure to bring it in line with the proclamation.

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO 1589

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 19 SEPTEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 17)

1589. Mr J A Esterhuizen (IFP) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(1) With reference to mining in Mpumalanga which takes place on 1.1 million hectares of agricultural land, including mining in the Vaal River catchment area, which is a big concern, (a) what steps are being taken to ensure that Rand Water is on track to deal with the impact of acid mine drainage on the water supply and (b) what plans are in place to ensure that Gauteng does not come to a standstill, if Rand Water fails in its mandate to provide clean water thereby impacting the economy;

(2) whether she has found that the mining legislation and legislation on environmental affairs have failed; if so, what steps does she intend to take to change relevant pieces of legislation in the future? NW1692E

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REPLY:

(1) Acid mine drainage (AMD) within the Western, Central and Eastern mining Basins of the Witwatersrand gold fields, and specifically that with potential to impact on the Vaal River System, is being addressed by my Department through an emergency works AMD mitigation (short-term solution) project. A mainstay of the emergency works project is to manage AMD in the interim so as to ensure inter alia, water resources protection. Key project outcomes to date entail the construction of AMD treatment (neutralisation) infrastructure in the Western and Central Basins, both of which are operational. These facilities ensure that AMD is pumped to surface, treated by neutralisation (involving pH correction, precipitation of heavy metals and some sulphate [salt]), and the discharge of neutralised AMD to the environment. The process of neutralisation ensures that the quality of AMD on the receiving water resources is more acceptable. Waste material derived from the neutralisation process is translocated to registered mine waste facilities. The short-term solution for the Eastern Basin is under construction and is projected to be commissioned in December 2015.

A long-term solution for AMD management in the Witwatersrand was identified during a Feasibility Study undertaken by my Department between January 2012 and December 2013. Implementation of the long-term solution is pending finalisation of the institutional arrangements and certain regulatory processes.

Outside of the short- and long-term solutions, regulatory mechanisms contained in the National Water Act, 1998 (Act 36 of 1998) are in place to ensure that the mining sector fulfils certain obligations towards mine water/ AMD management.

(2) The response to this question falls outside the mandate of the Department, I am requesting the honourable Member to refer the question to the Department of Minerals and the Department of Environmental Affairs.

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO 1568

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 12 SEPTEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 16)

1568. Ms T E Baker (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(1) (a) How many sewerage works plants are there in Mpumalanga province and (b) how many of them have valid licenses;

(2) (a) how many of these plants are operational and (b) how long has each non-operational plant been in this condition;

(3) are there any plans in place for the replacement, rehabilitation or provision of neglected sanitation infrastructure; if not, why not; if so, what (a) timeframe is envisaged for this process to be completed and (b) are the further relevant details? NW1938E

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REPLY:

(1)(a) There are 167 Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTWs) in Mpumalanga.

(1)(b) There are 38 of these WWTWs with valid water use licenses.

(2)(a) There are 125 WWTWs currently operational.

(2)(b) All 42 WWTWs have not been operational since 2012.

(3) The Department through the Accelerated Community Infrastructure Programme (ACIP) and Water Services Operating Subsidy Grant (WSOSG) is assisting the municipalities with the refurbishment of 13 non-operational WWTWs. Due to limited budget available, the Department has submitted a bid to National Treasury in July 2014 to source funding towards the refurbishment and upgrade of the all dilapidated WWTWs including the remaining 29 WWTWs.

The anticipated completion date to refurbish all 13 WWTWs mentioned above is March 2017 hence the commencement and completion of the remaining 29 WWTWs will depend upon response from National Treasury.

Reply received: November 2014

QUESTION NO 1565

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 12 SEPTEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 16)

1565. Mr L J Basson (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(2) how much of the budget for the (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14 financial years was actually spent;

(3) what are the (a) major components of the scheme, (b) the location of these components, including sewerage plant upgrades and outfall piping and (c) estimated costs of each of these components;

(4) has the design work of each of these components been completed; if not, (a) why not in each case and (b) at what stage of completion is the design work for each component;

(5) (a) when will the construction of each of these components commence and (b) when will the construction of each of these components be completed?

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REPLY:

(1) Refer to table below for the Sedibeng Wastewater Treatment scheme for the financial periods.

Financial Year	Amount	Budgeted Amounts	Actual Spent
2012/13	R 40 million	R 1 681 615	R31 969 522
2013/14	R 90 million	-	-
2014/15	R 110 million	-	-
2015/16	R 172 million	-	-

(3)(a) The major components of the scheme are Sebokeng Wastewater Treatment Plant and Meyerton Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade.

(3)(b) The location of the components is in Emfuleni and Midvaal Local Municipalities

(3)(c) The estimate cost of each component are:

· Sebokeng Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade: R1.3 billion

· Meyerton Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade: R255 billion

(4) The design of the Sebokeng Wastewater Treatment Plant and Meyerton Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade upgrades has been completed.

In the case of the Sebokeng Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade, civil work is in progress whilst the mechanical contractor and electrical bulk supply contractors have been appointed. With the Meyerton Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade, the sewage settling tank refurbishment is in progress and will be completed by December 2014. The civil tender has been awarded and the work will be completed by December 2017.

(5) In the case of the Sebokeng Wastewater Treatment Plan, civil work commenced on 14 August 2013 and will be completed in August 2016 whilst the Sewage Settling Tank refurbishment commenced in July 2014 and will be completed by 2014. The Meyerton Wastewater Treatment Plant's civil work commences now in November 2014 and the upgrade will be completed by December 2017.

Reply received: September 2014

QUESTION NO 1564

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 12 SEPTEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 16)

1564. Mr L J Basson (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(a) How many rivers are currently being looked at by the River Health Programme, (b) what are the names of the rivers and (c) where are they situated? NW1934E

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REPLY:

(a) There are 117 rivers currently been looked at by the River Health Programme.

(b) The below table shows the names of those rivers and where they are situated.

Province	List of rivers to be monitored in 2014/2015	Number of rivers
Eastern Cape	Mbashe, Great Kei, Nahoon, Mngazi, Mngazana, Mnenu, Mzintlava, Mthatha, Shixini, Buffalo, Keiskamma, Mzimvubu, Gonubie, Kwelera, Chalumna; Kouga/Gamtoos, Kromme, Kowie, Swartkops, Groot East, Bloukrans, Storms, Elands, Elandsbos and Lottering	25
Free State	Vaal, Riet, Wilge, Upper Orange, Caledon and Modder	6
Gauteng	Pienaars, Apies, Hennops, Jukskei, Crocodile, Scheerproot, Magalies, Moreletaspruit, Bronkhorspruit, Elands, Blesbokspuit, Klip, Rietspruit and Suikerbosrand Rivers	14
KwaZulu Natal	Mkuze, Phongolo, Hluhluwe, Mfolozi, Mhlathuze, Mooi, Thukela, Mkhomazana, Mgeni, Mvoti, Mdloti, Mlazi, Lovu and Tongaat	14
Limpopo	Nzhelele, Mutale, Groot/Letaba and Lephalale rivers	4
Mpumalanga	Olifants, Sabie, Crocodile and Komati rivers	4
Northern Cape	Vaal and Harts	2
North West	Molopo, Groot Marico, Ngotwane, Hex, Juskei, Crocodile, Pienaars and Apies	8
Western Cape	Duiwenhoks, Goukou, Gouritz ,Hartenbos, Kleinbrak, Grootbrak, Gwaing, Maalgate, Kaaimans, Touw, Diep, Hoekraal, Goukamma, Knysna, Steenbras, Palmiet, Bot, Onrus, Klein, Uilkraals, Kars, Sir Lowry's, Pass, Lourens, Eerste, Sand, Silwermine, Schusters, Bokramspruit, Hout Bay, Salt, Diep, Sout, Silwerstroom, Berg, Groot, Olifants/Doring, Kruis, Langvlei , and Jakkals	40
TOTAL		117

Reply received: September 2014

QUESTION NO 1563

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 12 SEPTEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 16)

1563. Mr L J Basson (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

How many job opportunities have been created through the (a) programme for resource-poor farmers, (b) rainwater harvesting programme and (c) Adopt-a-River Programme in (i) 2013 and (ii) since 1 January 2014? NW1933E

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REPLY:

(a) Thirty four (34) job opportunities were created through Resource Poor Farmers (RPF) during the 2013/2014 Financial Year. Two (2) job opportunities were created through RPF during the 1st quarter of 2014/15.

(b) Eight hundred and twenty one (821) job opportunities were created through Rain Water Harvesting (RWH) during the 2013/2014 Financial Year. Sixty eight (68) job opportunities were created through RWH during the 1st quarter of 2014/15.

(c) Two hundred and two (202) job opportunities were created through Adopt-a-River (AaR) during the 2013/2014 Financial Year. Fifty (50) job opportunities were created through AaR during the 1st quarter of 2014/15.

Reply received: October 2014

QUESTION NO 1562

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 12 SEPTEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 16)

1562. Mr W Horn (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

(a) What volume of water (i) was or (ii) is to be discharged from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project to mitigate the effect of water restrictions in Mangaung, (b) what (i) percentage and (ii) volume of water has been purified for use by residents of Mangaung in this regard, (c) what is the (i) cost per unit and (ii) total cost for the water to be discharged for this purpose and (d) who is responsible for the payment of these costs? NW1932E

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REPLY:

(a)(i) The volume of water discharged from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) to mitigate water restrictions in Mangaung was as follows 21.2 million m3.

(a)(ii) Falls away.

(b)(i) This water from the LHWP is stored in the Knellpoort dam and Tienfontein dam and an average of 129 600 kl is drawn on a daily basis.

(b)(ii) Falls away.

(a) The water is part of the annual allocation to South Africa (780 million m3 per annum) from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. The cost of which are covered in the annual royalty paid to Lesotho as part of the Treaty

(c)(ii) Falls away.

(b) The Department of Water and Sanitation.

Reply received: September 2014

QUESTION NO 1506

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 12 SEPTEMBER 2014

(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 16)

1506. Adv H C Schimdt (DA) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:

Whether (a) her department and/or (b) any entities reporting to her sponsored political party (i) advertisements, (ii) events and/or (iii) paraphernalia in the (aa) 2011-12, (bb) 2012-13 and (cc) 2013-14 financial years; if so, (aaa) for which political party and (bbb) what was the monetary value of the sponsorship in each case? NW1872E

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REPLY:

(a) No, the Department of Water and Sanitation (formerly Water Affairs) did not sponsor any political party, advertised an even or paraphernalia during the financial periods in question.

(b) No, none of the 14 Entities reporting to me sponsored any political party, advertised event or paraphernalia during the financial periods in question.

2014-12-03

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