Chairperson, hon Minister, Deputy Minister, chairperson of agriculture and environmental affairs from the Western Cape and hon members, first of all, I wish to thank the department for its budget presentation to our committee.
One of the duties of the NCOP is that of exercising oversight in the various provinces. I must therefore congratulate the Department of Water Affairs on the impressive De Hoop Dam in the Limpopo province, which our committee visited during the Taking Parliament to the People campaign. Delivery of water is scheduled to begin in April 2011.
South Africa must conserve every drop of water as a country cannot afford wastage, particularly in view of global warming. Desalination of seawater is taking place and will be introduced in the coastal towns such as Knysna, George, Mossel Bay and Plettenberg Bay.
The Departments of Water Affairs and Environmental Affairs have stated that they need at least R60 billion to R100 billion to renew infrastructure and to build dams over the next three years. In my province, the Free State, the situation is shocking. According to the Green Drop report, only 35 out of 102 Free State waste water treatment plants - that's 30% - took part in the survey, and had an average rating of only 15%.
Last year, during our provincial week visit to Welkom and Odendaalsrus in the Matjhabeng municipality, raw sewage was being pumped into the pans and rivers. It is a disgrace. This is, however, not only the fault of the Department of Water Affairs. As the department supplies the bulk water, the municipal authorities must ensure safe drinking water and the treatment of waste.
Municipalities can use funds such as the municipal infrastructure grant funds, can borrow money or ring-fence amounts to ensure that ageing infrastructure is renewed or replaced. As the department said, funds follow function.
Instead, there is misuse of the funds by the municipalities. The mayors and municipal managers would rather purchase expensive vehicles than ensure clean water and protection of the environment. The department has at long last started with legal action against certain municipalities, and is attempting to implement a turnaround strategy in others.
In the reply to a question, the Minister revealed that R1,2 billion was owed to water boards by municipalities. The National Treasury, which has a mandate to mediate between water boards and municipalities in terms of section 44 of the Local Government: Municipal Finance Management Act, must pressurise or rather force the municipalities to start paying their outstanding debts.
Chairperson, with regard to environmental affairs, some of the challenges facing the department are increasing water pollution; poor waste management, as has been evidenced by the dumping of hazardous medical waste in Welkom, in the Free State; the impact of mining activities on the environment; and acid mine drainage.
About 17 000 tons of medical waste has already been removed from Welkom in Matjhabeng municipality. The clean-up operations of medical waste in Welkom have been stopped by the Departments of Water Affairs and Environmental Affairs as the waste was being excavated faster than it could be removed from the site. The operations were limited to daytime hours only and investigations by a hydrogeologist indicated that the amount of buried waste was double the initial estimated volumes.
The DA in the Free State welcomes the removal of the medical waste, but would like to urge the department to be more vigilant in ensuring that this kind of environmental crisis be dealt with more urgently. It is therefore necessary that the provincial department ensures that the required measures are put in place so as to ensure that situations like these do not occur again.
The fact that South Africa ranks amongst the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitters and that an estimated 50% of our wetlands have been destroyed or converted to other land use, is ominous. Climate change is one of South Africa's, and indeed, the world's greatest challenges. However, the compliance and enforcement capacity of the Department of Environmental Affairs is improving. The DA welcomes the dedicated Environmental Courts which have been established.
Chairperson, the continuing plundering and pillaging of our natural resources, as the Minister herself has stated, is of great concern. Examples are poaching, such as the increase in the killing of rhino; and the destruction of our ecosystems which are crucial to South Africa's water and survival, and are under great stress. Increased vigilance and action against illegal environmental activities is required.
Whilst two thirds of our planet consists of water, very little of this is drinkable water. We will always have droughts, which prejudices food security and could affect industry and electricity generation. We must conserve our water resources and manage them well, otherwise the verse from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner will apply: Water, water everywhere, not a drop to drink.
I thank you. [Applause.]