Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina says the seventh administration will strive to turn the tide on reducing the water and sanitation services backlog.
Delivering her maiden Budget Vote Speech before the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in Parliament on Tuesday, Majodina said that more emphasis will be placed on investment in bulk water supply infrastructure projects, while vigorously assisting municipalities with water reticulation to ensure that unserved communities receive the services they need.
Majodina said the department has already made some inroads in its efforts to realise water security by unlocking challenges that hindered 14 major water infrastructure projects.
These include the new R26 billion uMkhomazi Dam, which is to provide urgently needed additional water to eThekwini and surrounding areas in KwaZulu Natal, and the new Polihali Dam, as part of the R42 billion second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project to provide urgently needed additional water to Gauteng and parts of the Free State, Mpumalanga, North West, and Northern Cape Provinces.
The projects also include the new R8 billion Ntabelanga Dam on a tributary of the uMzimvubu River to provide additional water for irrigation and domestic use in the eastern region of the Eastern Cape, amongst others.
In ensuring a financial secured and sustainable water sector, the Minister emphasised the need for municipalities to exercise efficient and effective revenue collection across the water value chain.
"In effecting this, the municipalities must be able to sell water to domestic users and local industries while water boards collect revenue from municipalities for selling treated water, and the mooted National Water Resource Infrastructure Agency will complete the puzzle by selling raw water to water boards and major industries," Majodina said.
Majodina condemned the escalating debt owed by the municipalities to the water boards which has ballooned to R21.3 billion by May 2024, thus posing a major risk to the financial sustainability of the whole water sector.
"It is important to note that it is not all municipalities, which are not paying. However, non-payment by a few municipalities which are served by a particular water board can result in severe financial difficulties for that water board.
"One of our immediate priorities will therefore be to work with our colleagues in Cabinet, particularly the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, to find a sustainable solution to this problem," Majodina said.
The Minister also called for diversifying the water mix and develop alternative water resources, including increased but sustainable use of groundwater, treating and re-using water from wastewater systems, and seawater desalination.
She said due to the localised nature of these technologies, most of these alternative water resources will need to be developed by municipalities.
Majodina highlighted the areas of focus in the 2024/2025 financial year, including amongst others:
· Collaborate with the City of Tshwane and Magalies Water to complete the project to provide an alternative source of clean drinking water to Hammanskraal by October;
· Assist Zululand District Municipality to implement the R9.5 billion Mandlakazi Bulk Water Supply Scheme to also benefit communities in uMkhanyakude District;
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
· Implement the R4.7 billion Phase 1 of the R18 billion Olifants Ebenezer programme, aimed at bringing additional water to Polokwane, Seshego and surrounding areas;
· Implement the R27 billion Olifants River Water Resource Development Project in Limpopo;
· Provide support to Sol Plaatje Local Municipality, to a value of R1.4 billion, including providing funding for the Kimberley Bulk Water Supply Project;
· Implement the R10 billion Vaal Gamagara Phase Two Project in the Northern Cape to provide additional water for mining and communities; and
· Implement the R1.7 billion Loskop Regional Bulk Water Supply project, which involves the construction of a bulk pipeline from Loskop Dam in Mpumalanga to Thembisile Hani Local Municipality.
