Hon Chairperson of the NCOP, the former Chairperson of the SA Local Government Association, Salga, the Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, the Chief Whip of the NCOP, hon members, guests in the gallery and MECs present today, I would like to congratulate hon Minister on her appointment to the Department of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation. Welcome back to the human settlements sector and welcome to the water and sanitation sector which together become a formidable portfolio under your leadership. Notwithstanding the progress in the delivery of basic services since 1994, including access to housing, water and electricity, objectives of spatial justice, equity, spatial transformation, inclusive economic growth and development remain elusive.
Many disenfranchised communities continue to be denied access to employment and economic opportunities by being geographical located far from such opportunities and by being structurally excluded from urban land markets in metropolitan areas, intermediary cities and small towns. Government, in particular local government has therefore face challenges in facilitating spatial transformation. The InterMinisterial Committee, IMC on land reform in the fifth administration resolved that Salga and the erstwhile Department of Human Settlements should collaborate in the assembly of land for human settlements.
Municipalities must form an integral part of the land assembly processes including the determination of how best to utilize the assembled land in support of a human settlement programme that contributes to spatial transformation. It is encouraging to note that the department is working with targeted municipalities to ensure that its land assembly process is linked effectively to the municipalities' Integrated Development Plans and Spatial Development Frameworks. In this context 58 human settlement projects have been prioritised in collaboration with the said municipalities.
The good location of the proposed projects will not only enable the transfer of land and housing to previously marginalised people, but
will also serve to reverse apartheid spatial fragmentation. The land and property provided to the beneficiaries shall serve as a useful asset that will enable them to participate meaningfully in their respective urban economies. Salga commits to work with the department in order to strengthen the collaboration between the department and the local government sector in the delivery of these priority projects in an effort to reverse apartheid spatial fragmentation.
Hon Chairperson, both national and international policy, call for urban policies to be implemented at the appropriate level, including devolution of built environment functions to local government. This one I know is a sticky point. We seem to face an ongoing chicken and egg situation when it comes to devolution and capacity at municipal level. Without devolution, we can never fully implement the policy objectives of the National Development Plan, NDP and the Integrated Urban Development Framework, IUDF. Every strategic goal of the IUDF requires integration and coherent urban development plans at the local level. Spatial integration cannot be achieved without new spatial forms in the human settlements, transport, and socieconomic areas.
Inclusion and access cannot be achieved if our communities do not have access to social and economic services within their local areas. Without harnessing urban dynamism in our cities, we cannot achieve inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development. And finally without governance that enhances the capacity of local government and our citizens to work together, we cannot achieve spatial and social integration. Let us not allow capacity limitations to hamper achievement of the IUDF goals. Let us work together to support our municipalities whereby we embrace devolution and build integrated cities that are the drivers of social inclusion, sustainable economic growth and spatial transformation.
We are encouraged by the strides made by the water sector in the delivery of water and sanitation services. The 2018 household survey released by Statistics SA indicates a progressive realisation of meeting access to water and sanitation targets for South Africans. Progress to date includes an average 90%, and 83% access to water and sanitation services respectively. However, these strides are at risk with declining payments for water services, water losses, poor asset management, and aging infrastructure amongst others. Whilst 88,2% of households across South Africa are satisfied with the delivery of water, only 49% pay for this service.
As of June 2019, this is something that I do not think members that are sitting here want to hear, municipalities are owed R120 billion whilst our member municipalities owe water boards and the department R14billion. The issue of non-payment of services and debt management requires a special intervention at all levels. However, the suggestion to top slice municipal grants is not a sustainable solution. We welcome the commitment of the Minister to transform the water and sanitation sector with a focus on the unequal distribution of water, promulgation of new regulations for water conservation, fast-tracking of Mzimvubu Dam; training of municipal officials; eradication of the bucket system; and proposals to restore the integrity of the department.
We have recently undertaken an assessment of water service delivery risks and found that solutions to the many challenges impacting upon water services lie not in legislative change, but rather in implementing the current water sector framework. We welcome a legislative review process to update and improve the existing Acts in line with the Minister's transformation agenda.
Hon Chairperson the Minister's initiatives are a step in the right direction and importantly require a collective approach. Within this context we believe it is imperative for the Ministry and Salga to
explore establishing an intergovernmental structure with the objective of tackling the following seven key issues: Debt Management across the value chain; transformation of the sector; establishment of a water regulator; addressing the water licensing regime; institutional delivery mechanisms to improve coherent water management between role players in the sector particularly at catchment level; ageing Infrastructure; and mechanisms to ensure that critical issues are addressed within intergovernmental structures such as Minister and the Members of the Executive Councils, MinMECs and the Presidential Co-ordinating Council.
We look forward to a collaborative working relationship with yourself and your department.
IsiXhosa:
Siyangqina singuMbutho wooMasipala baseMzantsi Afrika ukuba kuninzi okwenzekileyo elizweni lethu kwaye kuninzi ekusa funeka kwenziwe.
English:
As we bow out I want to leave you with the words of Amilcar Cabral:
Hide nothing from the masses of our people. Tell no lies. Expose lies whenever they are told. Mask no difficulties, mistakes, failures. Claim no easy victories.
Thank you very much, let us move South Africa forward. [Applause.]