Chairperson, hon members, as with many other basic services, the provision of water to the people of South Africa is severely influenced by the application of unequal policies in the past. Some rural communities are in the catchment areas for water supplies to the big cities and, although they watch the water being piped off to the cities, they themselves do not have access to potable water.
We now look at managing water in its entirety in our Water for Growth and Development Framework. This is a sector approach to water management, instead of having water resources and water services as separate disciplines.
While "water rights" was the term used in the old Water Act of 1956, the current National Water Act of 1998 refers to "water use entitlements". The Act makes provision for rural communities to apply for a water use license. This replaces the riparian rights principle which excluded an estimated 90% of blacks from obtaining water and which was the basis of the Water Act of 1956.
With regard to your question, hon member, the answer is yes. Through its regional bulk infrastructure grant and Accelerated Community Infrastructure Programme, the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs is investing up to R5 billion over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework to reduce the current backlog in the supply of bulk potable water for socioeconomic and developmental needs in all provinces of South Africa.
Hon Ntwanambi asks specifically about the rural areas and townships of Limpopo, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga. Starting with Mpumalanga, government is attempting to address the challenge by installing water treatment package plants in the communities of Ntunda, Louisville, Skhwahlane, Brooklyn and Draaikraal.
During my visit to the Mpumalanga province on 30 October this year I had the honour of opening a 2 megalitre package plant costing R2,8 million in the Ntunda village, and a pipeline to reservoirs costing R1,4 million. This project now supplies potable water to at least 7 000 people in the Ntunda and Skhwahlane villages.
Through the bulk infrastructure grant in the Limpopo province, the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs allocated an amount of R228 million in the 2009-10 financial year for the funding of nine water supply projects. An additional allocation of R28,66 million in the 2010-11 financial year from the community infrastructure programme ensures that reticulation takes place in the municipalities.
In the Eastern Cape, R23 million has been invested for the supply of water and to address water-pollution-related issues. In the Northern Cape, a total of R8,37 million has been invested in three municipalities to cater for the Northern Cape waste water and sewerage pump stations refurbishment and water supply.
A number of municipalities were declared drought-stricken areas in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Limpopo provinces in late 2009. In consultation with the affected municipalities, these provinces have conducted assessments to quantify the needs and the resources required to bring about drought relief.
The interministerial committee approved a sum of R86 million for the Eastern Cape and R185,2 million for the Western Cape. Of this amount, R53,7 million was transferred to the Western Cape during November 2010, and a further amount of R141,5 million for the 2010-11 financial year. An amount of R54 million was approved for the Limpopo province in January 2010. Funds were made available from 1 July 2010.
With regard to initiatives to address acid mine drainage, Cabinet appointed an interministerial committee to address the serious challenges related to acid mine drainage in the Witwatersrand. Subsequently, a team of experts was appointed and they presented their report to the interministerial committee on 21 October this year. The interministerial committee has asked the team of experts to look at the cost implications of their recommendations and other options to resolve acid mine drainage. I thank you for your attention.