Chairperson, hon members and hon E C van Lingen, in my reply to question 5 on 17 September this year, I indicated that piping water from neighbouring countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, may be one option that we could look at to address our water supply problems.
There are, however, no plans or discussions at this stage to pipe water from the DRC to South Africa. The government's current strategy, the National Water Resources Strategy, NWRS, is to exploit our own resources by looking at options such as desalination, re-use of water, better management and use of current ground water, and to further our partnership with Lesotho in the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, LHWP. I thank you.
Chairperson and hon Deputy President, I was wondering if you actually meant to refer to the pipeline from the Congo, because it is very far. Having been on various tours all over South Africa as NCOP members, we've noticed that there are still a lot of rivers flowing full- bore into the sea, like in the eastern part of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu- Natal.
We were wondering what plans there are for dams to be built on our own soil in the near future, rather than a pipeline from the Congo.
That question is actually relevant to the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, but it's all right. If the Deputy President would like to respond, I will allow that.
Remember, if you put questions to the President and the Deputy President, those questions must be of a national nature.
Chairperson, as I have said, the NWRS is what guides us as a country, and that covers conservation of water, etc. There's a whole build programme for dams in several areas without the possibility of endangering the ecology of the country. Thank you.
Particulars regarding Bi-National Commission comprising South Africa and Swaziland
8. Mr R A Lees (DA) asked the Deputy President:
(1) Whether South Africa has a Bi-National Commission with Swaziland; if not, why not; if so, (a) who are the current SA members of this commission and (b) how was each of these members (i) selected and (ii) appointed;
2) (a) what are the details of the current mandate given to the SA members of this commission and (b) what are the matters currently under discussion by this commission?