Few countries in the world have succeeded in expanding vital services such as water, sanitation, electricity, roads and housing to so many people in such a short time.
We are proud of the progress we have made and we will continue to ensure the roll-out and provision of water infrastructure is prioritised so that clean water is made available to all South Africans. We are aware that sustainable use of our water resources and making water affordable are central to achieving this goal. Access to water as a basic right is contained within the Bill of Rights in our Constitution. Our government has the responsibility to take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of this right.
The United Nation, UN, has recognised the right to water and sanitation as a human right in 2010. Goal six of the Sustainable Development Goal, SDG, encompasses access to water and sanitation for all by 2030. In terms of the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, which were the predecessor of the SDGs, South Africa has met its target for reaching the MDG for access to safe drinking water with moderate progress in reaching the sanitation target.
The National Development Plan's, NDP proposes improving water and sanitation infrastructure by prioritising new key water schemes to supply urban and industrial centres and establishing a national water conservation programme. The expectation is also for the sector to contribute to the creation of 11 million jobs by 2030; provide basic services to rural communities; to increase their capabilities and thus take advantage of economic opportunities; as well as to professionalise the public service and attract high calibre candidates. Commitment to implement the NDP is reflected in the Medium Term Strategic Framework, MTSF, 2014-2019, with specific actions that the sector should implement over the five year period.
South Africa is a water scarce country with an average annual rainfall that is far below the global average of 860 mm per year. While the recent drought in South Africa has largely been
responsible for water shortages in many parts of the country, a number of other factors such as ageing infrastructure, climate change, pollution, leaks and alien vegetation also contribute to water scarcity and challenges in the water sector. The proper management of water resources is therefore important to prevent water shortages and the interruption of critical water services.
While access to water and sanitation infrastructure and services in South Africa has improved significantly since 1994. However, due to population growth and urbanisation, an increasing number of people are migrating to the bigger metropolitan areas, resulting in a rising number of households in need of water and sanitation services. This in effect means that government needs to keep up with hat has been referred to as a moving target. This also points to the need for better coordination between Department of Water and Sanitation and Department of Human Settlements.
In terms of ensuring a responsive, accountable, effective and efficient local government, the department has detailed its plans and provided good results in the area of percentage of households with access to functional water services from 85% in 2013 to 90% by 2019. Furthermore, increase the percentage of households with access
to a functional sanitation from 84% in 2013 to 90% by 2019, including the elimination of bucket sanitation in the formal areas.
It is on this note that the ANC wishes to take this opportunity to commend the Minister on her commitment to ensuring that the Department eradicates the bucket systems within six months of the 2019-20 financial year. The annual target for 2019-20 the number of existing bucket sanitation backlog systems in formal settlements replaced with adequate sanitation services is 12 221. As a committee, we will ensure that we provide oversight over this and many other plans of the department. In this regard as well, there is a need to be greater co-ordination between the Department of Water and Sanitation and the Department of Human Settlements to ensure proper planning and eradication of bucket sanitation practices as well as the mushrooming of informal settlements.
The War on Leaks Programme was conceptualised to stop water leaks in households, schools, clinics and other public buildings. The project also assists with job creation and training of youth in basic plumbing and related skills. This project not only assist with job creation and the prevention of water losses, but also helps to save money, as water losses amount to about R7 billion per annum. At project inception in 2015, the War on Leaks programme was estimated
at R3,9 billion. However, the department had not properly budgeted for this programme. As a result, the War on Leaks initiative has persistently been financed through other sources of funds within the budgets of the water trading entity and main account. From inception to date, expenditure on this programme amounts to R2,7 billion, most of which has resulted in unauthorised expenditure.
The unfortunate reality is that, in an audit conducted in 2018, it found that nearly 4 000 schools across the country still have inappropriate sanitation facilities. The most recent victim to this was a five-year-old girl who sadly died after falling into a pit toilet at a primary school in the Eastern Cape in 2018. In relation to this, the Minister of Basic Education in a statement following this tragedy indicated that the death of a child in such an undignified manner is completely unacceptable, and incredibly disturbing. We would like to express our sincere condolences to the families who have lost their children to this undignified tragedy. Which is why, as the ANC, we wish to welcome the launch of the Safe School Sanitation Initiative that took place in August last year.
In echoing the words of the President at the launch of the Sanitation Appropriate for Education or SAFE: Initiative, this is an initiative that will save lives and restore the dignity of tens of
thousands of our nation's children. It is our constitutional demands. All available resources have been mobilised, including pledges from business, strategic partners, and the building industry to replace all unsafe toilets in public schools
The SAFE initiative will spare generations of young South Africans the indignity, discomfort and danger of using pit latrines and other unsafe facilities in our schools?
In the state of the nation address, infrastructure was identified as a critical area of investment that supports structural transformation, growth and job creation. The new approach that government has adopted, will include greater cooperation between the private and public sectors, as well as local communities and will also include financial and institutional measures to boost construction and prioritise water infrastructure, roads and student accommodation through a more efficient use of budgeted money. Furthermore, as part of efforts to provide employment through the Expanded Public Works Programme, EPWP, labour intensive areas like maintenance, clearing vegetation, plugging water leaks and constructing roads will be focused on.
Water pollution is a serious problem from both an environmental and a socio- economic perspective. Apart from the fact that water pollution reduces or limits the utilisation value of water, it also places a burden on society due to the need for primary treatment, the costs associated with such processes, and the additional impacts on the economy. Furthermore, public health is often at risk as a result of poor water quality.
In 2018 there were incidents of water pollution complaints in the Midvaal and Emfuleni municipalities about the impact of sewage leaking into the Vaal River. This resulted in technical teams of the South African National Defence Force, SANDF, being deployed to the Vaal Area where they assisted with addressing the severe water pollution in the region. The pollution was as a result of vandalism, neglect and poor maintenance at treatment infrastructure and drains. This resulted in the contamination of the Vaal River and caused sewage spills in neighbourhoods. Critical repairs have been done and treatment stations had to be protected by troops.
Furthermore, in July 2019, a truck was seen dumping raw sewage into the Mthatha dam in the Eastern Cape. We condemn such actions with the contempt it deserves and what was also absurd was the R2 000 fines imposed on the private company by the municipality. This fine
is clearly insufficient to cover damages and or deter similar future misconduct.
This highlights the urgent need by the department for increased monitoring and enforcement in the water sector, as well as the need to review the instruments available to government departments and municipalities to ensure more realistic fines and punishment for transgressions.
There have been continuous concerns on the many challenges the department faces at the municipal level in relation to the delivery of water services. These challenges include poor maintenance and refurbishment of infrastructure, which result in, among other things, increased interruptions in supply and high levels of unaccounted for water; poor management of wastewater treatment works resulting in deteriorating raw water quality; slow delivery of sanitation services and inadequate cost recovery in the water services sector? We thus, urge the department to ensure that the Intergovernmental Relations Framework of work between the three spheres of government must be strengthened, especially in terms of service delivery of basic services, such as water and sanitation.
The department received a qualified audit opinion in 2018-19. The Auditor- General, AG, indicated that there was material uncertainty relating to the viability of the Department as a going concern. This was ascribed to an overdraft of R119 million accumulative unauthorised expenditure of R933 million, accruals and payables to the value of billion R2,005 billion. Consequently, the department would not be able to start any new projects in the medium term.
The department is regressing and the AG indicated that this is because ofa breakdown in leadership and management. The Water Trading Entity, WTE, also received a qualified opinion as the value of the departments assets, stated at 95 billion were not a reliable figure. There were also recurrent findings of irregular expenditure.
The legal claims against the Department was recorded at more than R100 million for both the main account and the WTE. These claims are growing every year. The AG has indicated that these claims pose a financial risk to the department and should be urgently resolved.
At the end of 2017-201 8, the Department had a vacancy rate of 13%, with only 6 911 out of the 7 946 position that were filled. Reasons for vacancies not being advertised or filled were attributed to
Budget constraints imposed by National Treasury, which led to reprioritisation of more critical posts being advertised.
In addition, the Department performed poorly by achieving only 52% of its total targets, while spending 97% of its Budget. This is despite the fact that some of the planned targets were adjusted during the year under review.
Delays and lack of implementation of the majority of the projects is attributed to the procurement process, such as the appointment of contractors, designs and lack of funds. All these delays negatively affected provision of water and sanitation and the creation of job opportunities. The projects that could not be implemented were amongst others, the Tzaneen dam; Clanwilliam; Umzimvubu and ORWRDP 2D, 2E, 2F. It is worth noting that majority of these targets were not met in 2016-17 either. This is also a result of poor management of projects.
A case in point is Giyani in Limpopo. In 2009, Giyani was declared a disaster area, and as a result, the Department of Water and Sanitation resolved to find solutions to the water challenges in respect of limited or lack of appropriate water and sanitation infrastructure. In 2014 the Minister issued a directive to Lepelle
North Water Board to regularise water and sanitation services within the Mopani District. Of particular concern in this region were the Giyani Waste Water Treatment Works, the Giyani Water Reticulation Plan and the lack of water supply by the municipality to the Nkensani Hospital.
A budget of R502,5 million was approved for this project. Despite challenges encountered, the Giyani Water Treatment Works was refurbished and upgraded from 18 mega litres to 36,7 megalitres and currently operates at 36.7 megalitres. Of the 55 villages that were to benefit from the Giyani Water Treatment Works, bulk water reaches 42 whilst the 13 are supplemented or solely dependent on boreholes.
There have been several incidences of vandalism of infrastructure which was a severe challenge affecting the water supply and presented operation and maintenance challenges. Furthermore, illegal connections resulted in unbilled water for which the municipalities could not derive payment.
Concerns have been raised regarding the Mopani District Municipality and the Greater Giyani Local Municipality in respect of the ongoing operation and maintenance of Giyani Water Treatment Works and the Giyani Waste Water Treatment works, which was still under the
operation of the appointed service provider, Lepelle North Water Board.
However, the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement, MTBPS 2018 also paid specific attention to the Giyani Water Project and stated that it was plagued by malfeasance and was a cesspool of corruption". It stated that a new delivery and financing model was necessary for delivering water services to communities and that a key element of the new approach will be a stronger focus on project management and contract governance to ensure that projects are fit for purpose and maximise value for money in the water sector.
The water and sanitation sector plays an important strategic role not only in terms of providing basic services, but in ensuring that human rights and dignity are upheld. Ensuring a capable and well- resourced department responsible for the management and protection of critical water resources should be a key priority and we will as a committee intensify over-sight over this department p ensure that the department fulfils its mandate. The ANC supports the Budget Vote on Water and Sanitation with the conditions that the chairperson had already alluded to over committee. Thank you, Chair.