Chair, hon Ministers, the need to roll out basic services and water supply in support of human settlement development, together with the President's comment in the state of the nation address that government intends to put in place measures to reduce the unacceptably high water losses through leaking pipes and inadequate infrastructure, would appear to have influenced the additional allocation to the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs, yet budget allocations to relevant programmes have declined. This is somewhat confusing. The ACDP does not see how the water infrastructure development and maintenance that the President referred to in the 2010 state of the nation address is going to be achieved when the National Water Resources Infrastructure Programme of the department experienced a budget cut.
Accelerated investment in water infrastructure is needed to overcome the internal barriers that are likely to hold back South Africa's productive potential. Such investments will contribute to growth and poverty reduction and increase agricultural activity, all of which impact on our ability to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs.
Regional management and the national water sector programmes, which focus on the improvement of water resources management, promotion of intergovernmental relations, the implementation of water sector plans in the provinces, building institutional capacity in local government, fostering better international donor co-operation and promoting regional co- operation on water security in Africa, have, however, seen significant real growth. This provides some encouragement.
The water sector in South Africa is grappling with the universal challenges of access and quality, combined with concerns about resource availability. There are many South Africans, especially those in rural municipalities, who depend on raw water directly harvested from rivers. In many instances this leads to the contraction of water-borne diseases. Rural development, food security and land reform will all require the successful implementation of natural resources management programmes.
The provision of effective support to all municipalities will be critical in ensuring access to water and sanitation, and improving the Department's capacity to do this will necessitate the retention and development of suitable skills in the water sector.
The ACDP notes the Estimates of National Expenditure reports that the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs owns "approximately" 350 dams across South Africa. We were curious, hon Minister, why the exact number of dams is not known since dams are clearly visible and are either there or not there. Is this an indication that there are issues of incompetence in the department that need to be investigated?
The underfunding of this department could have severe repercussions and a ripple effect, impacting negatively on multiple budgets. The ACDP will, however, support this Budget Vote, despite serious reservations regarding underfunding. Thank you.