Deputy Chairperson, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, MEC present, hon members of the House, distinguished guests, we must emphasise that the ANC, a movement of the people in its 98 years of existence, is committed to improving the lives of the people.
This can be attested to by the commitment of President Jacob Zuma to improve the capacity of the state to achieve better alignment with the developmental changes that need to be addressed to speed up effective service delivery to the people.
We have seen the commitment of the President to eradicating poverty when he paid a surprise visit to Sweetwater informal settlement after receiving numerous complaints about the area through the presidential hotline. We have no doubt that the lives of the people of Sweetwaters will change soon, if not sooner, because we have confidence in the President.
Minister, as you have mentioned, our towns and cities are dirty.
Andazi ukuba singenza njani ukuze zicoceke. Abakhona amaphulo okucocwa kweedolophu, kodwa ayincedi loo nto. Loo nto, Mphathiswa, ibangela ubungozi empilweni. [I do not know what we could do to keep them clean. There are cleanup programmes for our towns, but that does not help. Minister, that is a health hazard.]
I also congratulate the department on its programme of cleaning the host cities. As elected public representatives, we are confident that the Constitution, as the supreme law of the land, has since its adoption served as a tool in guiding our country to create a good society. This is the Constitution that we, as members of the NCOP, are prepared to defend at all times and at all costs.
This Budget Vote debate takes place in the context of water affairs following the reconfiguration of the Departments of Water, Land and Environmental Affairs. Access to water is a constitutional right. Section 27(1)(b) of the Constitution states that everyone has the right to have access to sufficient food and water.
We must remember that the ANC is the key to monitoring service delivery. Minister, all is not well ...
... ngamanzi emaphandleni. Amadama asiwaboni kweziya ndawo sihlala kuzo emakhaya. Mphathiswa, imbi ngakumbi into yokuba ngapha eSisonke kubekho umlambokazi uMkhomazi, ngapha ngasePort St Johns ibe yimilambokazi uMzimvubu noMzimkhulu, kodwa kungabonakali madama. Kukho iindawo ekufuneka sizihloniphile, njengeKomkhulu laseQawukeni elikuMasipala weSithili sase- O.R.Tambo. Akukho kwanto esa amanzi kweziya lali zisondele phaya, kanti yindawo ekufanele ukuba ihloniphekile leya. (Translation of isiXhosa paragraph follows.)
[... with water in the rural areas. We do not have dams in our areas. Minister, it is terrible to have the Mkhomazi river in Sisonke and two huge rivers in Port St Johns called uMzimvubu and uMzimkhulu, but still to find that there are no dams. There are places that we are supposed to respect like the royal homestead of Qawukeni which is the under O R Tambo District Municipality. There is no water supply to those villages that are near the Great Place and that is the place to which we were supposed to show respect.]
However, water still remains a scarce and useful resource. As members of the Select Committee on Land and Environmental Affairs, we met with the department as part of our constitutional oversight responsibility over the department. During our meeting, the committee was briefed on the Budget Vote and strategic plan of the department. It is against this background that we are participating in this debate in order to give unwavering support to the department.
Following our engagement with the department, we have highlighted a number of issues that should be looked at to address challenges relating to water. The key challenge that also affects the department is the shortage of skills. The committee is deeply concerned about the shortage of skills in the water sector. This poses a high risk in relation to the provision of effective water services and water resources management in our municipalities.
From the point of view of the state of the nation address, President Zuma identified the issue of water as deserving special attention when he said:
We are not a water-rich country, yet we still lose a lot of water through leaking pipes and inadequate infrastructure.
We are content with the fact that the President's call emanating from the state of the nation address indicates that this policy debate on the Budget Vote is an adequate expression in addressing the challenges of water in our country. Without doubt, this action is not the sole responsibility of the Departments of Water and Environmental Affairs. There is a need for the department to co-operate with other departments such as the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform in carrying out its mandate.
We also noted with great enthusiasm the commitment of the department to align water and sanitation targets with 2014 for sustainable human settlements, which will ensure that there is alignment and better co- ordination between water, sanitation, electricity and housing targets.
Goals of sustainability and efficiency, as well as the responsibility of South Africans and Africans to share and use water, cannot be divorced from these needs. We have also learnt, with great interest, of the support that the department is providing to municipalities as a strategic partner in providing water services to the people.
We have no doubt that this department, under the political leadership of Minister Sonjica, is capable and committed to successfully delivering water and sanitation to all our people.
In conclusion, our committee will consistently monitor the programme of action of the department by ensuring that the department implements its mandate in accordance with expectations of the policy of the ruling party.
The ANC supports the Budget Votes No 37 and 29: Water Affairs and Environmental Affairs. Thank you. [Applause.]