Speaker, the DA is dismayed by reports that an estimated R50 billion is needed to deal with the sanitation backlog faced by 3 million households mainly situated in the rural areas. Figures released based on the countrywide sanitation hearings by the Human Rights Commission show that 11% of households have no access to sanitation services and 26% of households receive substandard sanitation services. This is largely due to the deterioration of infrastructure. The fact that 37% of households are without adequate basic sanitation is a gross violation of human rights and human dignity.
This sad state of affairs can be attributed to poor planning, lack of capacity, institutional fragmentation and a lack of intergovernmental relations. This is unacceptable. The DA calls on the Minister of Human Settlements to come up with urgent measures to rectify the situation and ensure that every household has access to basic sanitation services, which is a basic human right. We have heard enough of reports, diagnoses and commissions. All we need now is action. [Applause.]