Agb Voorsitter, die departement bestee miljoene rande aan advertensies in nasionale media wat s dat die volgende wreldoorlog nie oor grond en persoonlikhede sal gaan nie, maar oor water. Die departement doen 'n beroep op mense om spaarsamig en verantwoordelik met water om te gaan.
Ek stem saam met die agb Minister. Ons moet spaarsamig en verantwoordelik met water in Suid-Afrika omgaan. Die vraag is egter: Wat doen die departement? As u 'n beroep op die publiek doen om dit te doen, dan moet mens 'n voorbeeld stel. Daar is reeds daarna verwys, maar ek wil ook na die instandhouding van die kanale in Suid-Afrika verwys.
Ek gaan net na twee gevalle verwys, en dit is die Mooirivier- en Vaalharts- besproeiingskemas. As u met boere gaan praat, dan sal hulle vir u na plekke toe neem waar bome in die kanale groei. Van hulle s dat hulle nie eintlik vir water hoef te betaal nie, want daar is genoegsame water wat deursyfer as gevolg van die swak instandhouding van ons waterkanale.
Die Minister doen 'n beroep op die publiek om water te bespaar, maar die departement doen nie sy werk om kanale behoorlik in stand te hou om sodoende water te bespaar nie. Dit is 'n aanklag teen die Minister en haar departement, en sy moet daadwerklik aandag daaraan gee.
Die ander aspek is die besoedeling van ons riviere. Dit is so dat as daar besoedeling plaasvind as gevolg van rioolwerke van munisipaliteite wat nie werk nie, dan reik die departement direktiewe uit. Dit is egter waar dit bly. "Ek het 'n stukkie papier ontvang", maar die houding en hantering daarna deur sommige munisipaliteite is, om die minste te s, minagtend. Hulle steur hulle nie daaraan nie, want die besoedeling gaan net eenvoudig voort.
Die derde aspek, wat ek in my beperkte tyd wil aanraak, is di van hidrobreking. Die Minister het wel gister die versekering vir die mense van Suid-Afrika gegee dat sy 100% seker sal maak dat daar nie besoedeling in ondergrondse water deur hidrobreking in die Karoo sal plaasvind nie. Ek wil vir die agb Minister s dat haar sekretaris-generaal, Gwede Mantashe ... [Tussenwerpsels.] As iemand in Suid-Afrika geld het, dan is dit verstommend en skrikwekkend om te sien wat hulle kan doen.
Ek wil vir die agb Minister s die maatskappye wat by hidrobreking betrokke is, beskou die geld van die Gupta's as kleingeld. Die persepsie begin ontstaan dat dit gaan oor watter kaders weer ontplooi kan word, of wie deur hidrobreking bevoordeel kan word. Die Minister sal na die studies moet kyk, want daar is studies wat bewys dat daar besoedeling is, en sy sal oop kaarte met die publiek moet speel, anders is dit weer 'n skandaal. Ek dank u. [Tussenwerpsels.] (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Mr P J GROENEWALD: Hon Chairperson, the department is spending millions of rands on advertisements in the national media saying that the next world war will not be about land and personalities, but about water. The department is calling on people to use water sparingly and responsibly.
I agree with the hon Minister. We need to use water sparingly and responsibly in South Africa. However, the question is: What is the department doing? If one calls on the public to do this, then one should set the example. Reference has already been made to this, but I also want to refer to the maintenance of the water channels in South Africa.
I shall only refer to two examples, and that is the Mooi River and Vaalharts irrigation schemes. If you talk to the farmers, they will show you places where trees are growing in the canals. Some of them are saying that they actually do not have to pay for water, because there is enough water trickling through due to the lack of maintenance of our water canals.
The Minister is calling on the public to save water, but the department is not doing its job to ensure proper maintenance of water canals in order to save water. This is an indictment against the Minister and her department, and she should take action to address this.
The other aspect is the pollution of our rivers. It is true that the department issues directives when pollution occurs due to the malfunctioning of municipalities' sewage disposal works. However, that is where it stops. "I have received a piece of paper", but subsequently the attitude of some municipalities and the manner in which they respond to this is contemptuous, to say the least. They take no notice of it, because nothing is being done about the pollution.
The third aspect, which I would like to touch on during my limited time, is that of fracking. Indeed, the Minister has assured the people of South Africa yesterday that she would make 100% sure that fracking does not result in the pollution of underground water in the Karoo. I want to say to the hon Minister that her secretary-general, Gwede Mantashe ... [Interjections.] It is shocking and alarming to see what someone in South Africa can do if they have money.
I also want to say to the Minister that the Gupta's money is viewed as small change by the companies that are involved with fracking. There is now a perception that it is once again about which cadres to deploy, or who is to benefit from fracking. The Minister will have to consider the studies, because some of the studies actually prove that there is pollution, and she will have to be honest with the public, or it could lead to another scandal. I thank you. [Interjections.]]