Madam Deputy Chairperson and hon members, I just want to give an apology for Minister Molewa who is actually busy tabling her budget speech for the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs in the NA. The reply goes as follows.
With regard to grant funding on the infrastructure backlog, this is managed by the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs and paid directly to the uThungulu District Municipality by National Treasury. The infrastructure backlog is being systematically eradicated using the funding received, concentrating on the areas of greatest need first. The current funding is adequate to meet government's target of universal access. Therefore, National Treasury has been approached by the KwaZulu- Natal provincial government, supported by the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs, to increase the funding to eradicate the backlog completely by 2014.
Regarding the second part of the question, the water and sanitation programme offers value for money, since the municipal infrastructure grant, MIG, allocation to uThungulu District Municipality is reducing the backlog for water and sanitation. The department has a dedicated regional bulk infrastructure grant, RBIG, in place to ensure the sustainable bulk provision of water.
The uThungulu District Municipality has been allocated R250 million over a five-year period for the provision of bulk water for the Mthonjaneni, uMlalazi, Nkandla and Ntambanana Local Municipalities. The uThungulu District Municipality will be considered for receiving further allocations to service the Mbonambi Local Municipality under the regional bulk infrastructure grant programme in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 financial years, should the funding become available. With regard to part (a) of the second part of the question, Nkandla will benefit directly from the seven regional water supply schemes funded under the MIG programme to the value of R21 million over the next three years, and from a dedicated regional bulk scheme being sourced from the Tugela- Mhlathuze transfer pipeline with a contribution of R30 million by the department.
Six water supply schemes funded under the MIG programme, to the value of R8 million, will be built in Ntambanana in the next three years. Mthonjaneni will have a further two water supply schemes funded under the MIG programme, to the value of R5 million, in three years' time. Umlazi will benefit directly from seven water supply schemes funded under the MIG programme, to the value of R12 million over the next three years.
These three municipalities, that is Ntambanana, Mthonjaneni and uMlalazi, will benefit from the Greater Mthonjaneni regional bulk scheme which is currently being built in phases and funded by the department, and being supplied with water from the Goedertrouw Dam. Mbonambi will have 10 additional water schemes funded under the MIG programme, to the value of R30 million. Future regional bulk water supply from uMhlathuze city bulk lines will render sustainability of supply to this area.
On the third part of the question, service delivery plans are covered under the RBIG for long-term sustainability. However, rudimentary schemes are in place to ensure water supply at a Reconstruction and Development Programme level. In instances where there is no access to water, a dedicated water tanking programme is run by the uThungulu District Municipality to serve those in need. Future initiatives by the uThungulu District Municipality include a dedicated rainwater harvesting programme.
The department has contributed 140 rainwater harvesting tanks, spring protection projects and boreholes for the Mbongolwane project in uMlalazi for food security, as part of the resource-poor farmer assistance programme.
The pilot phase of the rural development project in Nkandla is supported by the provision of irrigation water tanks and an irrigation connection and pipeline from the Tugela-Mhlathuze transfer pipeline, valued at R250 000.
The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs indicated to me that I should report to the NCOP that she's working very hard with the Department of National Treasury to make sure that these projects are realised, because they will then help to make it possible that, through water provision, we will be able to address the challenges of poverty and make it possible for people in rural areas to have a better quality of life.