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Date : 24/11/2003
Source: Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
Title: Kasrils: Opening of Ebenhaeser balancing dam


SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF WATER AFFAIRS AND FORESTRY, RONNIE KASRILS, AT THE OPENING OF THE EBENHAESER BALANCING DAM IN EBENHAESER, 24 November 2003

MOLWENI, GOEIE MORE, GOOD MORNING

Your worship the Mayor of Matzikama, The Honourable Ministers Gelderblom and Witbooi, Members of the Portfolio Committee on Water Affairs and Forestry including the chairperson, members of the community, farmers, members of my staff - I welcome you all to this auspicious occasion today. (Ek verwelkom u een en almal by hierdie spesiale geleentheid.)

BACKGROUND ON OLIFANTS RIVER

This is an area with a rich and vibrant history, redolent of the diverse nature of our society. The river on which this dam has been built, the Olifants River, is the second largest river catchment in South Africa. It is exceeded in size only by the Orange River. Long before the settlers arrived in this part of the world, the river was known by the local people as the Tharakkama River, meaning the 'Bushy River'. In due course we may have to rename this river the Tharakkama River to honour the Soaqua people.

The Soaqua, indigenous people of the South Western Cape, used to migrate seasonally between the coast at St Helena Bay and the Olifants River. The protein rich marine resources in this estuary sustained them during the winter months and they migrated to the permanent waters in the Cedarberg during summer.

The many late Stone Age sites in this area bear testament to this rich human heritage of this corner of South Africa. So we are gathering on grounds on which people have been gathering for many, many years.

After the white settlers had arrived in this neck of the woods, one Jan Danckaert, seeing a herd of elephants two to three hundred strong on the banks of the river in the vicinity of Clanwilliam, named it the Olifants River.

Since then, much has been done to ensure a regular supply of water for development in this area. Flying in from Cape Town I could see the Clanwilliam dam built in 1932, the Bulshoek barrage built in 1919 and the canal system bringing water to Vredendal. In 1966 the wall of the Clanwilliam Dam was raised to make more water available. This water infrastructure has no doubt contributed to the fact that Vredendal is currently one of the fastest growing towns in this Province.

WATER REFORM

While there is a great deal of development occurring in the Vredendal area, we cannot ignore the inequities still hanging on from the apartheid era. Most of the current irrigation farmers are white. The coloured and black communities were deprived by deliberate design of the apartheid regime. The local communities of indigenous descent were cruelly deprived of the chance of a decent livelihood. I see that this is set to change for the better, and change it must.

The irrigation farmers have done well with the water my department brought to this place. This canal scheme gave rise to what is now Vredendal. The future of Vredendal must now be to empower the previously deprived communities. They must now be given the opportunity to share in the wealth of this area.

As you will by now know that we have transformed our water law by promulgating the National Water Act in 1998.

The new legislation sets us on a path of working together, white and black, women and men, to create wealth by using the precious water flowing through this area. I will want to talk a little more about this a little later on. We must, as a nation, find the ways to use our water efficiently, equitably and sustainably. The notion of equity requires us to create optimal opportunities for our previously disadvantaged communities of this area. In this way prosperity of the previously disadvantaged can be enhanced, creating wealth for the communities around Vredendal.

LOWER OLIFANTS RIVER WUA (LORWUA)

I want to recognise that significant progress has been made in implementing the new Water Act in the Vredendal area. In fact the Vredendal Irrigation Board was the first irrigation board to be transformed into a Water User Association. Under this guise, we are in the process of transferring the management of the irrigation scheme to the Water User Association. This process has not been without its pain.

Earlier this year I had to intervene after one of the water user association workers had a chain padlocked around his arm. While it may have been insensitively laughed off as a joke by the perpetrators and I don't buy that lame excuse, it was clear evidence to me of the racist attitudes that still pertained here. I doubt very much whether the same actions would have been taken by management if he had been a white man.

I would wish to believe that most of the people of Vredendal are committed to making democratic South Africa successful and prosperous. I would wish to believe that all, regardless of colour, are similarly patriotic and dedicated. What I do know, however, is that each one of us has to take strong measures to rid ourselves of the racial baggage that we carry with us out of our apartheid past.

I will be meeting with the management committee and workers of the Lower Orange River Water User Association later on to discuss how we can work with them to ensure that they move away from the apartheid past and help to establish a working environment in which all people are fairly represented and respected, regardless of race or gender. I will be discussing with them how the precious water of this area can be put to best use to bring prosperity and dignity to our black brothers and sisters.

MONITORING OF WUA

I will also be discussing with them how we will monitor the progress of the water user association.

One of the important key performance indicators that my department will be monitoring will be the assistance provided by the water user association in the establishment of and support to emerging farmers from historically disadvantaged groups. We must ensure that our water resources and schemes benefit all the people of South Africa, not just a minority.

I will also be establishing an advisory committee to advise me on how best we can use government owned irrigation infrastructure to provide development opportunities for resource poor farmers and disadvantaged communities. I am convinced that, if we have the will, we can bring about remarkable change in our farming communities, to the benefit of all South Africans. I am also still in discussion with the Unions, reviewing the transfer of workers from my Department to Water User Association and the structure of these institutions.

THE HISTORY OF EBENHAESER GOES BACK A LONG WAY

Let me turn to the Ebenhaeser community and the opening of the dam today. There has been considerable government assistance in this area over the past century. Most recently, with the assistance of our partners at the Department of Agriculture and the West Coast District Municipality, the amount of R 5,4 million has been made available by Government to enable the construction of the Ebenhaeser balancing dam. This dam with a capacity of 140 000 m3 will enable water that flows from the main canal to be stored during times of low demand and to be released during times of high demand. The water will be used to stabilise the supply and demand of 150 resource poor farmers. This in turn will enable the resource poor farmers to pursue their dreams of irrigating the full 300 morgen of land that the water is allocated for.

It should also be noted that the balancing dam will be used to stabilize the water supply to three commercial farmers as well as the Municipal water supply of Ebenhaeser. The operation of this dam now forms part of the larger scheme to ensure that all users, and especially the community of Ebenhaeser get their share of water at the right level of assurance of supply. In doing so, the community of Ebenhaeser as well as the commercial farmers benefiting from the dam will be joining hands in the spirit of co-operative water use.

Ebenhaese and Matzikama Municipality are now part of one local authority. The water allocations are now pooled and must be managed for all parts of the municipality. We must strive for the same assurance of supply for good clean water at equal service standards to all consumers. With your contribution in payment of services, the municipality of Matzikama has an obligation to ensure that your services are also of a high standard.

I have also been informed that the Department of Agriculture has made funds amounting to R 800 000 available to repair and upgrade the Ebenhaeser canal system. With the repair of the Ebenhaeser canal and the construction of the balancing dam, plans to uplift this community have come one step closer.

I wish to thank you for your patience and courage to begin to change your lives to better yourselves. (Ek wil julle hartlik bedank vir julle geduld en moed om julle lewensomstandighede to verbeter.) I trust that my department will be with you to deliver all the necessary support you may require. (Ek vertrou dat my department julle sal bystaan om julle al die nodige bystand to gee wat julle benodig.)

Thank you, Baie dankie

Source: Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (http://www.dwaf.gov.za)

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