SPEAKING at the National Water and Sanitation Indaba in Midrand on 27 March, President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged that water stewardship, namely its management and equitable distribution, is a national priority.
Regarding infrastructure, Ramaphosa said the National Infrastructure Fund had secured R23 billion for seven large water infrastructure projects. Phase 2 of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project had resumed, as had work on the uMkhomazi Dam; and preparations were underway for the construction of the Ntabelanga Dam on the uMzimvubu River.
Local government
The president said that, at a local government level, financial mismanagement, insufficient revenue collection systems and high levels of physical water losses are compounding existing service delivery problems.
“With this dire state of affairs, we have seen declining private sector investment in water infrastructure, a situation that is only now improving.
“By equal measure, municipalities have not reinvested the revenue they earn from the provision of ser-vices to the upkeep of key water infrastructure,” he said.
Among other initiatives, Ramaphosa said that as part of the structural reform process in the water sector, the government had significantly reduced the turnaround time for the issuing of water use licenses. Currently, 75 percent of applications are processed within 90 days. An additional 110 technical and scientific staff have been hired to support further process improvements, he said.
Legal and regulatory framework
Through the Water Services Amendment Bill, he said a licensing system for water service providers would be introduced. Licenses will be removed if providers do not meet the standards for quality drink-ing water.
“By next year we hope to finalise the establishment of the National Water Resource Infrastructure Agency, one of the most significant reforms coming to the sector to date.
“This new agency will bring strategic alignment, consistency and accountability to the various institu-tional arrangements for water stewardship that have to date proven to be less than ideal,” the president said.
There needs to be greater cooperation between national and provincial government, the water resource management entities, and the private sector to support the turnaround in water stewardship, according to Ramaphosa.
He said much of this focus must be on supporting service delivery at local government level, where it matters most.
“What is needed is course correction – and a comprehensive plan that will expand access to water and sanitation services, improve the quality of water and sanitation infrastructure, and bring stability and good governance to all the entities involved in South Africa’s water stewardship,” Ramaphosa said.
