On Friday 28th March South African president Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the management agencies, local government ministers and members of parliament at the National, water and sanitation indaba for being present at the meeting.
The president started off to say the indaba is not a waste of money as the cost will be spread between the government and the private sector.
At the state of the nation address the president highlighted that he’ll focus on water and sanitation in underprivileged communities. As the month of March commerates “Human Rights month” the right to basic sanitation is one that every person should have.
Ramaphosa said water is a national asset and a national resource which enables economic growth and is the supporter of life. Minister of water and sanitation Pemmy Mojodina had a number of water crises on her hands seeing that Johannesburg had the most water shortages for the past months.
Ramaphosa said a global commission was formed to monitor the way water is managed.
The National Water Act was signed into law in 2022 access to clean water stood at 88.5% and access to improved sanitation stood at 80.7% one contrast this with the apartate Legacy where by 1994 approximately 30% of the population had access to adequate water supply and more than 50% .
The president said the department of water and sanitation needs to be commended for its ongoing efforts to improve water and sanitation.
Ramaphosa said infrastructure build programs projects will undoubtedly mitigate current Supply challenges being experienced. Although, the president is aware the challenge is very much a long way from achieving clean water and sanitation.
Ramaphosa says development
goal number six of the United Nations last year's water Summit identified aging
and poorly maintained infrastructure vandalism of water infrastructure illegal
connections organized.
One thing that South
Africa faces is crime in the water sector as some of the challenges are facing
water service delivery, there are people who cut water lines to create
businesses for themselves.
Mismanagement insufficient Revenue collection systems and high levels of physical water losses creates more Service delivery problems the mismanagement in local government not only dissatisfies community members, but places government in a bad light.
Ramaphosa encouraged
local government to use Advanced methods of making sure that the management of
this very important resource is well managed.
The provision of services
to the upkeep of Key Water infrastructure governance challenges and
inefficiencies at the various reporting entities including water boards have
long been in the public domain a number of water boards have been the subject
of probes by the special investigating unit corruption and fraud these are
problems impacting a country with a growing.
The World Resources in
Institute estimates that the biggest challenge in water demand between now and
2050 will occur in sub-saharan Africa it ranks South Africa amongst 25 countries
that are extremely water stressed and that are currently using over 80% of
their water supply to meet domestic needs at a global level the climate.
In the month of
February at the state of the nation address Ramaphosa defined a secure and
reliable water supply across the country as an urgent priority and it is an
expectation that this water indaba will be focused will be precise and outcomes
based and not just a talk shop.
Ramaphosa ended off by congratulating the water and sanitation minister and colleagues that she works with for reforming the department.
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