Photo for illustration only. (Photo: Unsplash)
The DA says documents obtained in terms of the Act on the Promotion of Access to Information (Paia) show that there is still no completed national action plan to deal with South Africa’s water crisis – despite months of promises by the government.
Stephen Moore, the DA’s spokesperson on water and sanitation, says pres. During his state of the nation address on 12 February, Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the government’s response to the water crisis was a high priority and that a crisis committee under his leadership would urgently develop an action plan to tackle the country’s water problems.
According to Moore, shortly afterwards during the debate on the State of the Union address, the minister in the presidency said the plan would be ready by mid-March. The deadline was later moved to the end of March.
When the plan was still unavailable, Moore filed a Paia request on March 25 for copies of the crisis committee’s minutes, resolutions and the promised national water crisis action plan.
On May 4, the presidency asked for a month-long extension to provide the documents. According to Moore, no proper reason was provided for the extension, even though the law requires it.
Meanwhile, on April 30, the president held a meeting of the coordinating council during which the plan was discussed. The extension expired on June 4 without any feedback from the presidency, while Ramaphosa had already referred to interventions that he believed would be implemented by the plan two days earlier during the budget debate.
Only 75% of the Rooiwal plant is currently in operation, while untreated sewage flows over stagnant ponds and pollutes the underground water table. (Photo: Provided)
After the matter was referred to the portfolio committee on executive enterprises and petitions on 5 June, and the minister of water and sanitation was requested on 10 June to table the plan, the presidency finally responded on 11 June.
“After studying the information, I can reveal that there is no complete national water crisis action plan to end dry taps for South Africans,” says Moore.
He says that communities that have been without water for months should be outraged after they were appeased with promises.
“The presidency has not kept its word, and South Africans now have to live with yet another promise, while they are still expected to believe that the water crisis is being tackled,” he says.