Pretoria - Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa has urged South Africans to use water sparingly and with utmost care.
“South Africa, with all its beauty, is a water-scarce country. We need to do all in our power to ensure that any amount of water we get is used sparingly and with the utmost care,” she said.
The minister was speaking at the launch of the completed Middeldrift Water Treatment Works in KwaNxamalala in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday.
The minister acknowledged that KZN, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape still had challenges with access to water, especially where the physical terrain is not ideal.
“We commit ourselves that we shall not rest until all our people are able to access water in a sustainable manner. We are well aware of the fact that as we chase the 100% target, the old areas require attention through operation and maintenance, as well as a higher level of service aimed at improved economic development,” Minister Molewa said.
The uThungulu District Municipality -- covering the six local municipalities of Mfolozi, uMhlathuze, Ntambanana, uMlalazi, Mthonjaneni and Nkandla -- is a fairly young district municipality, having been formed only in 2001.
Minister Molewa also announced that an amount of R267 million has been set aside for KZN for the 2013/14 financial year. Of this amount, R57 million has been identified for projects in the uThungulu District in the same financial year.
Over the medium term expenditure framework (MTEF), uThungulu District has an amount of R284 million set aside through the Municipal Water Infrastructure Grant (MWIG).
“I am quite pleased as well that the uThungulu District Municipality has in the meantime submitted project proposals for funding.
“The necessary funding agreements have also been concluded in this regard. This is a good indication of being pro-active and also understanding the basis of being in office to serve,” Minister Molewa said.
Among the projects identified for funding, the minister said there were also projects related to the Water Conservation and Demand Management Strategy.
Minister Molewa said government had come a long way to increase access to water since 1994.
“We took over as a democratic government from a system that used this wonderful resource as a tool of power and discrimination.
“At the time, only around 59% of the population had access to water. The bulk of the remaining 41% was obviously in the less developed and mainly rural and black domains,” she said. - SAnews.gov.za
