Mr Speaker, politics has a language of its own. I don't know at what point big challenges should still be called challenges rather than what they are, which is a hell of a big problem. The water situation in this country is without reason, because the country has enough water to supply its entire population.
The problem of water is transversal; it affects many departments and many line functions. By the same token, the failure to address this problem is transversal, which, in the end, hinges on the issue of planning. And it's saddening that the person responsible for planning, the Minister in The Presidency: National Planning Commission, did not find the time to stay with us. He made a couple of remarks and did not respond to the question about the Nobel Peace Prize, but as soon as this debate started he saw fit to abandon this House. The issue of planning is critical. It is an issue on environmental protection.
There is not enough control of sediment. Most of the water, which could be used for drinking purposes, is not being used. Sediment and erosion control is still a function that needs to be developed in South Africa.
There is an issue of pollution. The level of emissions and our controls over emissions brought from point sources and unpointed sources are way too low. Even against the territory standards, there is an issue of implementation, regulation and oversight over what the industry does.
First and foremost, there is an issue of management. This is not a challenge of management, but it is a crisis of management - a problem of management. The culture of management within government at all levels is not performing as required, and is becoming a culture of mismanagement.
Another is the problem of perspective. We are still implementing the 19th century solutions and engineering, disregarding the 21st century engineering and solutions. Dams and reservoirs are things of the past in many contexts, as they take up too many resources. The types of solutions that are available today for water purification are much more cost- efficient, effective and easy to implement.
There are problems with skills, and again they are transversal. The types of problems that we are facing are made much worse by lack of proper legislation on immigration because of the failure of the immigration system. There are problems at all levels of government, which are exposed to these issues.
I just want to take the last two seconds to correct something which was said here earlier. I don't want to say that it was true or untrue. I am very concerned about what is a fib and what is not, but the people around the Jozini Dam are not receiving the water that they are entitled to. There are long queues and their right to have clean water, as guaranteed by the Constitution, is not fulfilled. Thank you very much. [Interjections.] [Time expired.]