Thank you, Chair. Hon Minister, the ACDP notes the increased budget allocation of 6,4% in real terms, but acknowledges that, as in previous years, the department's budget is dominated by transfers and subsidies to departmental agencies for the construction of critical water resource infrastructure.
While the water services programme has increased from R2,4 billion to R2,7 billion this year, the actual operations aspect of water services saw a real decrease of 23,6%. Now we know that these are funds being transferred for use at local level, but this programme is meant to ensure that all people of South Africa have access to adequate, sustainable, viable, safe, appropriate and affordable water and sanitation services, that water is wisely used and that safe sanitation is practised.
Operation Gcina'manzi has done much to maintain and improve water supply, and the ACDP commends the department on it. Major problems, however, appear to be gaining momentum over the introduction of household meters in high- density areas. It seems the controversial meters, which automatically operate after free water is used up, are not addressing situations in which there are large numbers of people in a household, sometimes as many as 21.
When there are babies in a house, this means even less for the others as nappies must be washed. The presence of these meters is now sadly associated with the hardships being experienced. Protesting women, wearing bloody underwear to express their plight, appear to have got their message across, and the Gauteng South High Court has ruled that the installation of the prepaid meters in Soweto was unconstitutional, because it discriminated against poor people.
Hon Minister, we do not envy you this situation. Clearly, there is a problem with payment for water in high-density population areas. However, it appears that a countrywide roll-out of meters could cause an uprising, one which may have been inspired BY the ANC in their campaign against the City of Cape Town's prepaid water meters in the run-up to the elections.
Does this budget make any allocation for there to be a workable solution to address this problem? Thank you, hon Minister. [Time expired.]