Every drop counts

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Cabinet has called on South Africans to continue using water sparingly as they live in a water-scarce country.

“Cabinet calls on all to continue to work with government in conserving water by using it responsibly and sparingly,” Communications Minister Nomvula Mokonyane said on Thursday.

The Minister was briefing the media for the first time in her new portfolio. This was also the first briefing of the year under the new Cabinet.  

The drought in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape has been elevated to a national state of disaster. This has been attributed to the effects of global warming which continue to affect rain patterns, causing dam levels to remain low. This is in addition to the fact that South Africa is a water-scarce country.

The challenge has prompted government to set up an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Drought, which together with stakeholders in all spheres of government and society, is dealing with the persistent drought conditions that have hit several parts of the country.

Minister Mokonyane said Cabinet appreciates the relentless efforts made by the IMC on Drought as they continue to facilitate work between national government, provinces and municipalities in all drought-affected areas. This includes implementing short, medium and long-term measures to address and mitigate the potential impact of the drought.

“Government has made funds available to provide short-term assistance to affected provinces. It has provided a relief grant worth R473 million and an additional R6 billion in the 2018/19 financial year to augment water infrastructure in the Western Cape‚ Eastern Cape and Northern Cape,” the Minister said.

She said Cabinet remains committed to making South Africa a country of choice for visitors and potential investors alike, despite the drought. - SAnews.gov.za