President Cyril Ramaphosa has assured citizens that government is focused on the implementation of the National Water Action Plan to ensure the delivery of running water for all South Africans, regardless of their location.
The President addressed the nation through his weekly newsletter on Monday, following the launch of the plan last week.
The five intervention areas in the plan set out the immediate technical interventions and reforms designed to target the root causes of persistent water supply challenges plaguing municipalities.
“Our main priority lies in implementation, clear responsibilities and accountability.
“The National Water Crisis Committee, known as WATERCOM, will meet regularly to oversee implementation, track progress and hold the responsible departments and public entities accountable for delivery,” the President stated.
Addressing root causes
The President noted that to secure long term supply, government will continue to invest in dams, pipelines, treatment works and other bulk water infrastructure.
However, municipal water systems are “not being properly managed, maintained and financed”.
“In too many municipalities, revenue collected from the sale of water is used to fund other municipal functions. This leaves too little money to repair pipes, replace pumps or employ qualified engineers and technicians.
“As a result, on average across the country, close to half of all the water pumped never reaches paying customers. It leaks out of broken pipes, is stolen or is simply never billed for.
“We cannot build our way out of the crisis if we do not properly maintain and manage the infrastructure we already have. The National Water Action Plan will address the root cause of this crisis by changing the way that water services are delivered,” President Ramaphosa said.
From a legislative perspective, the Water Services Amendment Bill is currently before Parliament and it is aimed at establishing “clearer separation between the municipality’s role as the authority responsible for water and the role of the operator that actually delivers it, so that both can be held to account”.
“Water service providers will be required to obtain operating licences based on their technical, managerial and financial capability. Municipalities will only be able to appoint providers that meet the required standards and can demonstrate that they are capable of delivering reliable water and sanitation services.
“Where a municipality is failing, unwilling or unable to provide an acceptable service, government will intervene in accordance with the Constitution and the law to provide the required services to our people,” the President explained.
On financial management and sector partnerships, the President outlined mechanisms to ring-fence water revenues through the Metropolitan Trading Services Reform Programme, while crowding in private capital.
Through the Metro Trading programme, South Africa’s metropolitan municipalities are supported and incentivised to ringfence revenue derived from the provision of water services.
“This means that money collected for water and sanitation must remain within the water utility and be reinvested in infrastructure, maintenance and improved operations. Municipalities will also receive more technical support. We will bring in additional funding by partnering with private investors and lenders, and by paying contractors according to results delivered.
“Mobilising private finance and expertise does not mean surrendering public responsibility for water. Water will remain a public good and the state will continue to protect public ownership, affordability and universal access,” President Ramaphosa noted.
Making strides
Work to implement the action plan has been underway for the past few months.
Interventions already underway include:
- Water boards helping struggling municipalities to drill boreholes and provide emergency supply.
- Grant money has been redirected to the worst-performing municipalities.
- Legal action has been taken against dozens of municipalities that have violated the National Water Act.
- The establishment of six Catchment Management Agencies across the country to protect and manage South Africa’s major water systems.
- Through national grants, government is investing R24 billion a year in municipal water and sanitation, with around 800 projects underway nationwide.
“Through our programme for unserved rural communities, 71 borehole projects have already been completed in Mpumalanga, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, reaching roughly 30 000 households that previously had none.
“Between 80 and 100 more boreholes will be drilled this year, and 500 over the next two years, extending water to around 250 000 households,” the President said.
Other larger projects underway include:
- In the uMkhanyakude District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, R1.3 billion of grant-funded projects will improve the reliability of water services to over 130 000 households.
- In Thembisile Hani Local Municipality in Mpumalanga, a R2 billion project will provide access to 65 000 unserved households
- In Emfuleni, Rand Water has partnered with the municipality to create a new water utility called the Vaal Corporation Water Utility. This will result in a professionally run and financially self-sustaining water service provider that will provide greatly improved water services in a struggling municipality.
“In developing the National Water Action Plan, we have had extensive consultations across all relevant national departments and entities, provincial governments, municipalities and water boards.
“Everyone is committed to the successful implementation of the plan and to ending the water crisis in our country once and for all,” President Ramaphosa said. – SAnews.gov.za
