The Budget Speech, SONA and water

If you are wondering where water sits on national government’s priority list, then consider this: out of the 4 878 words in the Budget Speech and 8 319 words in the State of the Nation Address (SONA) – water was mentioned only 12 and 17 times, respectively.

Publisher Jacques Breytenbach

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Understandably, large parts of the SONA and Budget Speech were dedicated towards addressing the ongoing electricity crisis. But more focus and energy (excuse the pun) need to be directed towards severe water shortages and spiking health issues associated with failing sanitation infrastructure.

The word ‘sanitation’ was mentioned only once in the Budget Speech and twice during SONA 2023.

The lack of importance placed on sanitation is reflected by the recent General Household Survey by Statistics SA, where 11.3% or just under 7 million people do not have access to piped or tap water in their dwellings. Additionally, only 64.8% of households have flush toilets that are connected to a public sewer system or septic or conservancy tanks. Another 13.4% still largely rely on pit toilets.

But there is still some positive news to come out of these speeches.

The good news

The backlog of water licence applications has been cleared, and new licences are now being issued within 90 days.

Later this year, a law will be tabled to establish an infrastructure agency to leverage the assets in the water sector for increased investment in water resource infrastructure.

A total of R132.5 billion has been allocated to the water and sanitation sector over the next three years.

Around two million indigent households receive free basic water.

Government has recognised the need to lessen the impact that load-shedding has on water infrastructure. The national state of disaster is aimed to respond to the electricity crisis and its effects, and will assist in exempting critical infrastructure such as water treatment plants and wastewater treatment plants from load-shedding.

The Sanitation Appropriate for Education (SAFE) Initiative, together with government’s Accelerated School Infrastructure Delivery Initiative, has built 55 000 appropriate toilets with resources from the public and private sector.

The Department of Water and Sanitation is leading the process of investing in major infrastructure projects across the country. Some of the ‘shovelready’ water and/or sanitation projects approved through the Budget Facility for Infrastructure include:

• The Sol Plaatje Municipality will repair aspects of the Riverton Water Supply Scheme, which is the only water source and supply system to Kimberley.

• Access roads for the Mzimvubu Water Project are nearing completion. The construction of the Ntabelanga Dam will begin later this year. Additional funding during the next financial year may be required to ramp up implementation.

• Site establishment for the Clanwilliam Dam project is completed. All surface works and 15% of all concrete works will be completed by the end of this year.

Some of the other water projects of national importance that are either underway or will begin are the long-delayed Lesotho Highlands Phase II and major projects to increase the capacity of the Clanwilliam Dam, Hazelmere Dam and the Tzaneen Dam.

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