Hon Deputy Chair, I want to start by expressing appreciation for the contributions made by hon members during the debate. They indicate the level of commitment of this august House to these matters which are quite complex and very important in our lives. In the six and a half minutes that I have to speak, I will try to deal with these issues. I'm trying to negotiate for the extra minute that I lost earlier on. I have so many issues listed.
In summary, the discussions really covered a lot of areas, indicating that there is great understanding of the work that we do. Much more importantly, I would like to highlight that the hon Qikani indicated and demonstrated very clearly to all of us that the work that President Zuma alluded to in his state of the nation address is actually being rolled out in this discussion today, as we speak. That indicates that there needn't be as much detail as the President gave on the day of the state of the nation address, because this is the detail that we are giving. It has been covered very well by the hon Qikani.
I want to touch on the issue of the threat to water: There is 97% allocation, or so it is said. We did indicate, in our speech, that there is a process that we have started of reallocating water to the other sectors of our economy, especially given the Water for Growth strategy and the current entitlements that we see.
We do see a threat that cuts across especially the agricultural sector that indicates to us that there is actually allocated water which is now an entitlement of that sector that is not actually being used; that has, in some cases, not been allocated to anybody who exists - no warm body in agriculture. So there has to be a reallocation. You can't say that there has been an overallocation to the tune of 97%, when some water is actually being hoarded by people who do not exist, while communities are running short of water. So we are doing this study and we will definitely have discussions with the agricultural sector and everybody concerned to deal with that matter.
We take the issue of the pollution of water very seriously, and many colleagues have spoken about this issue. The Blue Drop and Green Drop project is our response to that. I just want to correct something, perhaps even contextualise a bit. When the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs says that many municipalities are dysfunctional, that doesn't mean that that translates into the work that Water Affairs or water services does. It's a system of functionality of administration.
In our water programme you will notice that that will be reflected in the Blue Drop or Green Drop report - how municipalities are able to deliver water services, quality water services, to the people. So, read the Blue Drop or Green Drop report which is coming out next week in order to understand water as a service in water services municipalities, and not the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs' report. Of course we have to deal with that dysfunctionality, but it's not quite linked to this right now.
With regard to the sensitivity of the environment and issues such as fracking and hotels that are being built in our protected areas, I would like, just in one sentence, to indicate that it is our duty and obligation as the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs to ensure that we really respond in an appropriate manner to any event and eventuality where there is development. We are not here to stifle development because we want to be a growing and developing nation. However, there has to be a balance because environmental sustainability is about that.
If, as we do the environmental impact assessments, we find that fracking will indeed prove to be detrimental to our environment, we will respond accordingly. The same applies to the hotels that are being built. We ourselves are building those hotels; it's one of our institutions. We can't have one of our institutions actually degrading the environment. Again, in that regard, the EIAs will be done and we will take it from there.
About two or three weeks ago I opened a very good hotel, as many of you may have seen, in one of our nature conservation areas. It is a first-class example of a green facility. So it is not a given that when a hotel is built in a protected area it will always be detrimental to the environment. This hotel is the best ever example of a green facility that one would find anywhere. It is in the Free State and many others are coming. [Laughter.]
I would like to caution the Western Cape by suggesting that we wait for the national land use management plan. You can't have the tail wagging the dog. The dog must wag the tail. That's how it happens all the time. [Interjections.]