The water shortage, which is now looming, is going to be a crisis bigger than any this country has ever witnessed and its implications will be huge. At the level at which water is currently being used, water supply will be unable to meet the demand by 2015.
To add to our problems, many of our streams and water sources are heavily polluted. Some of the water is so acidic and so heavily laced with poisonous metals that it has become a danger to humans, animals and our agriculture. Now, even the whole city of Johannesburg is being threatened by the rise of acid water.
The extent to which effluents are being released by municipalities into the streams is another serious problem that requires drastic action. We demand that a very strict standard be imposed so that a dam such as the Hartbeespoort Dam, which is fed by the Jukskei, Hennops and Crocodile Rivers, as an example, will not become a cocktail of chemicals devoid of oxygen, killing all life within it.
Researchers are very worried about two problems with water in South Africa: firstly, with respect to quantity; and secondly, the quality of the water.
The poor and inefficient management of this vital resource is going to impact negatively on our agriculture and our industries. It will also cause the price of water to soar and that will have a major impact on householders. [Time expired.] Thank you.