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The DA will request Minister of Water and Sanitation, Nomvula Mokonyane, to urgently write to the Speaker of Parliament, Baleka Mbete, to provide Parliament with the reasons why 14 Annual Reports for National Water Boards, including Rand Water, were not tabled in Parliament by 30 September.

The Public Financial Management Act requires that all annual reports be tabled by 30 September. It also requires that if the annual report cannot be tabled on time, appropriate explanations be provided by the relevant Minister.

Water Boards (WBs) are created through Chapter 6 of the Water Services Act, Act 108 of 1997  and the primary activity of a WB is to provide bulk water and sanitation services. These are therefore obviously vital entities at the forefront of delivering basic services. Their annual reports must be submitted and duly studied to ensure all is well.

It is indeed worrying that these annual reports are late, with no explanation given, in the context of the ongoing water crisis in Gauteng.

The following WB’s did not table their 2013/2014 Annual Reports in Parliament:

• Botshelo Water Board;
• Bloem Water Board;
• Pelladrift Water Board ;
• Namaqua Water Board;
• Amatola Water Board;
• Albany Coast Water Board;
• Ikangala Water Board;
• Magalies Water Board;
• Lepelle Northern Water Board;
• Mhlathuze Water Board;
• Sedibeng Water Board;
• Rand Water Board;
• Umgeni Water Board; and
• Bushbuckridge Water Board.

If written explanations are not provided by Minister Mokonyane, I will also request that the Auditor-General issue special reports on the delay as is provided for in Section 65(1)(b) of the PFMA.

Departments must account to Parliament. The failure to submit annual reports on time is yet another indication that the ANC does not take Parliamentary accountability seriously.

Issued by DA