Minister must appoint task team to address water infrastructure backlog
I will today write to Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa requesting her to set up an intergovernmental task team to address the increasing water shortages being experienced in a number of provinces due to a lack of proper infrastructure maintenance.
Reports reveal that not only are Mafikeng and Nelspruit experiencing water shortages due to dilapidated water infrastructure, but the crisis will soon spread to Bloemfontein and other municipalities if it is not attended to (see BDLive report).
The intergovernmental task team must assess the severity of the matter, prioritise critical areas that must receive immediate attention, and formulate a strategy to prevent further water shortages.
The team should comprise officials from the Departments of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Treasury, Public Works and Water Affairs.
Although just over R2 billion had been allocated to water infrastructure maintenance and development in the 2011/12 financial year, Minister Molewa's appeal to the private sector for additional funding to the tune of R25 billion at the World Water Forum in Marseille last year indicates that there is a serious problem.