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  • Home »
  • Hansard »
  • 2007 »
  • September »
  • 05 »
  • PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (Wednesday, 05 September 2007) »
  • NO1117E
  • Minister Of Water Affairs And Forestry 5 Sep 2007 hansard

    Thank you, hon member. I want to repeat this and say it is clear as we engaged both in national and international debates that we must call more and more on the developed countries to play their part by coming on board with the commitments that were made. However, they also need to cut back on their own consumption. Consumption is going on and on.

    So, they have to play their role. And that doesn't mean that I'm saying we are not taking responsibility for what we have to do here at home. We are taking responsibility. I didn't even mention most of the things that we are doing. However, there are many things we are doing to try and mitigate. Now, you are asking: shouldn't we be using enviro loos instead of using something else?

    Alternative technology is something that we encourage in municipalities, who are the ones rolling out the sanitation programme. So, we are working with the Department of Science and Technology. We are suggesting what technology is appropriate for where and when. Yes, those who want to adopt the enviro loos will take it, others will take other things - urine diversion and dry sanitation. So there are different technologies. We haven't regulated that this is what needs to be done.

    Having said that, I think every South African has a role to play. This is not just about what the government must do. I think you, your children, your neighbours, your friends and everybody have a role to play in terms of more efficient use of water in our country. I think as ordinary South Africans we do not realise that we are a water-stressed country, and if we could just use water more efficiently we would save it for other people.

    With regard to the agricultural sector, I think farmers could be encouraged to give preference to those crops that are drought-resistant or to use more efficient irrigation methods as part of water-saving initiatives. The biggest initiatives are to ensure that we plug the leaks, to ensure that we repair water leaks, to try to use treated water or what they call grey water, and to refrain from doing things that will have a negative impact on the quality of water.

    We plant trees. It is Arbour Week this week. All of us must take time to plant trees because you know trees help us with the cleaning of the atmosphere - the oxygen they give us - preventing soil erosion and all those things. We have to continually remove the alien plant species that take a lot of our water so that water is released to the dam. So, there are a whole lot of things that we have to do and we are doing them. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

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