Hon Chairperson, I move without notice:
That the Council -
1) notes that the access to water is increasingly becoming an urgent issue that need attention in South Africa;
2) also notes that the current drought across the country, but particularly in the North West, Free State as well as in the Eastern Cape, could become the single most harmful situation that could affect our country not only environmentally but also socioeconomically;
3) further notes the report about water security which was tabled in Parliament by the Minister Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation, hon Lindiwe Sisulu, states:
a) South Africa's dam building programme is a decade behind schedule;
b) faulty pumps are resulting in the loss of great amounts of water;
c) leaks and poor water infrastructure leads to a tremendous loss of water each year.
d) poor or dysfunctional sewage plants also result in large amounts of sewage flowing into rivers and dams; and
e) the demand in many areas exceeds supply and that water, which should be saved for later, is now used.
4) also notes that as much as 41% of the country's potable water is being lost owing to leakages, despite the War on Leaks project of 2015;
5) acknowledges that municipalities are vital in ensuring that water is regarded as the single most valuable resource; and
thus requests the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Service Delivery to:
a) investigate and report on the impact and effect of water losses owing to leakages in municipalities; and
b) call upon the committee to present viable solutions that could be implemented by the different levels of government to ensure the provision of safe and reliable water.
Motion agreed to in accordance with section 65 of the Constitution.