Hon Chair, chair of the portfolio committee, hon members, our VIP guests, ladies and gentlemen, I stood in front of you last year and made a number of pronouncements on programmes, which were to be achieved in the previous fiscal year. Today I would like to give you feedback and outline new programmes and initiatives.
With regard to local government support, access to potable and clean drinking water remains our priority. Some of the challenges include ageing infrastructure, linking water infrastructure to water resources, and rapid population growth.
We have thus embarked on the following programmes to address those challenges. In terms of regional bulk water infrastructure, last year we announced a target of 107 projects. However, we went beyond our target as we have implemented 117 projects to date and created 879 jobs, bringing the total number to 7 221. In the current financial year, we will create 1 210 job opportunities. The Olifantspoort water treatment works in Limpopo have been completed, which addressed population growth in the Polokwane and the Lepelle-Nkumpi Municipalities and some areas of the Greater Sekhukhune District Municipality. The construction of the Moutse bulk water supply scheme, which will enable communities to access water, will start very soon, in October this year. The bulk pipeline between the Taung Dam and Pudimoe will be constructed early next year.
With regard to our interventions on service delivery challenges, the provision of basic water services is the business of all spheres of government. We've jointly developed a plan of action to address the hot spot areas together. To cite some examples of working together, we have constructed a borehole water scheme in North West in Setlagole Village. In Mukula Village, Limpopo, we rehabilitated the existing boreholes as a short- term solution, while construction of the bulk water scheme will commence in May this year to be completed in June 2012.
We are also doing a lot with regard to water conservation. Last year we initiated the Accelerated Community Infrastructure Programme, to which we allocated R83 million in Cape Town, eThekwini, the City of Johannesburg and the Nelson Mandela metros to address water conservation and demand management challenges. The intervention addressed leak repairs, pressure management, education and awareness and use of effluent to offset demand for potable water. We thus saved 219 megalitres.
On the basis of lessons learnt in local government support, we developed an enhanced Local Government Support Approach, which ensures that the department provides full support to the entire water value chain.
We are also taking care of our youth. The War on Leaks project was launched in Mogale City, which targets the youth, educating water users about the importance of repairing water leaks. The youth educates the communities about fixing leaking taps and toilets. The project created 146 jobs for the youth and exposed them to various skills training.
In KwaZulu-Natal, 81 unemployed graduates have been trained in technical skills and employed by the Department of Water Affairs and municipalities.
Our 2020 Vision Programme is one of our of our key education initiatives, which aims to educate learners from Grades R to 12 about water resource management and water conservation. The acquired knowledge is transferred to their families and communities. The programme is implemented in collaboration with the Department of Basic Education. In the nine provinces, 6 000 learners participated in various projects such as competitions, etc. Curriculum-aligned educational resource materials have been developed with the Department of Basic Education to be piloted in 135 schools. This programme has exposed learners, who performed exceptionally well, to international platforms as we scooped the Stockholm Junior Water Prize twice. We also provided bursaries to 40 learners.
It is with joy that I introduce to you Motebele Moshodi, who is with us here. Will you please stand up? [Applause.] He is one of the three learners who won the Stockholm Junior Water Prize in 2005. [Applause.] He joined the department this year as a graduate trainee through the department's learning academy. Through Baswa Le Meetse, we provided 350 computers sponsored by MTN to the national winners of the Baswa Le Meetse competition.
Together, let's mobilise more schools to be part of this programme. We have initiated discussions with the Department of Science and Technology and the Water Research Commission to facilitate the patenting of the science projects developed by the learners, to test and implement them.
Our rural development programme has provided 5 280 rainwater harvesting tanks and created 320 job opportunities. We have also provided 360 poorly resourced farmers with bulk water distribution infrastructure for irrigation, with subsidies for operations and maintenance costs. We invested R11 million for the construction of the main irrigation pipeline and pump station for the Blocuso Trust project near Upington in the Northern Cape, which will benefit 446 farmers.
In the Moletele community near Hoedspruit in Limpopo, we have invested R107 million in the past five years for the construction of a bulkwater distribution pipeline to benefit 1 600 families. We have allocated R49 million for the current financial year to the rural development programme, which will provide financial assistance to resource poor farmers, rainwater harvesting, water allocation reform and multiple water-use systems. The "Adopt a River" project stakeholders recommended that we enhance the project by adopting a catchment. This will, amongst other things, promote integrated planning, a shared vision, an intersectoral approach and active stakeholder participation in the management of water resources.
With regard to the water user associations, we have been struggling to transform them; there are 279 irrigation boards. To date, only 59 irrigation boards have been transformed into water user associations. In the current financial year, we will continue to transform more boards.
Our rivers are highly polluted. They are dumping areas for all types of waste. The health of our rivers has deteriorated and ecosystems are affected, thus we launched the "Adopt a River" project last year. The main objective is to clean the rivers and identify the source of pollution to ensure that it is addressed. The "Adopt a River" project creates job opportunities for women and empowers them with skills, thus making them water ambassadors. We have created 595 job opportunities in Limpopo, the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and the Free State, which were the pilot provinces.
The highlight is that women from the Isipingo project from KwaZulu-Natal initiated the growing of vegetable gardens along the river. They also contributed to resolving crime as they found a partly decomposed body as they were working. It is thus my pleasure to introduce to you, hon members, Charity Ruvimbo Mphaphuli from Limpopo, Alina Mofokeng from the Free State, Doreen Mandyundyu from the Eastern Cape, Zodwa Elizabeth Ndlovu from KwaZulu-Natal and Barbara Nocwaka Thandeki from the Western Cape. [Applause.] They are some of the women who participated in the "Adopt a River" project and are water ambassadors. They are our ambassadors. Malibongwe! [Let it be praised!]
HON MEMBERS: Igama lamakhosikazi! [The name of women!]