Date: 10/02/2004
Source: Ministry of Water Affairs and Forestry
Title: R Kasrils: Parliamentary Media Briefing, February 2004
BRIEFING NOTES FOR THE PARLIAMENTARY MEDIA BRIEFING BY MINISTER OF WATER AFFAIRS AND FORESTRY, RONNIE KASRILS, 10 February 2004
1. ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES FOR THE FIRST DECADE OF DEMOCRACY (1994-2003/4)
Water services
In 1994, national government for the first time took oversight responsibility for water services, which had previously been left at a local government level.
A White Paper on Water Services was produced in 1994 to guide this intervention. This was replaced by the Strategic Framework for Water Services (2003), which covers the delivery of basic services, including the provision of free basic water, which now reaches 76% of the population. It also covers the concept of improving the basic service level ("the water ladder") and measures needed to achieve sustainability as well as consumer protection.
Government in total provided through its various programs a basic water supply to an additional 13,4 million people (or 3,3 million households) by December 2003. The contribution by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry is a basic water supply facility to over 9 million rural people by end of 2003, that is more than 2 million (2,2 million) households. We will celebrate the 10 million recipient in 2004 as a fitting complement to ten years of democracy and development. Regarding sanitation the progress has been slower with 6,4 million people or 1,6 million households were provided with adequate or improved sanitation by December 2003.
Other government programs such as the Consolidated Municipal Infrastructure Programme (CMIP) as well as the housing programmes also funded access to higher levels of water services and flush toilets in urban areas and these were not included in the above figures.
The establishment of democratic local government has been a major achievement and will enable the department to transfer operational responsibility for water service provision to municipalities and to focus on its role of policy development, support and regulation.
Water resources
The National Water Policy White Paper and National Water Act, 1998 set out the framework for the management of water resources in South Africa intended to ensure that, even though South Africa is an arid, water stressed country, water does not constrain social and economic development and the environment is protected.
The National Water Resource Strategy (NWRS), a "blueprint for survival", outlines how this will be achieved. As required by the legislation, the draft NWRS has involved intensive consultation and the final version will be published early in 2004.
Implementation is well underway. The registration of significant users of raw water has been completed for the first time enabling proper management of the resources as well as implementation of a national water pricing strategy.
Excellent co-operation was achieved with neighbouring countries who share rivers with South Africa. The first phase of the Lesotho Highlands Project (1A - Katse Dam and tunnels; 1B - Mohale Dam and tunnels) was completed and is already protecting the economic Gauteng heartland of South Africa from drought as well as providing approximately 15% of Lesotho's annual budget.
Co-operation agreements have been finalised on a number of key rivers, notably the Orange-Senqu River (Namibia, Botswana and Lesotho) and the Komati and Pongola/Maputo rivers (Swaziland and Mozambique) and South Africa has ratified the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on the Management of Shared Rivers.
Forestry
August 1996 saw the launch of the National Forestry Action Programme (NFAP), designed to implement, in a structured way, the vision outlined in the March 1996 White Paper on Sustainable Forestry Development in South Africa. South Africa was praised internationally for its scientifically sound management of indigenous forests particularly the sustainable harvesting of indigenous timber from Knysna forests.
Restructuring of plantation forests made excellent progress. Forestry leases were completed with Singisi Forest Products and Siayaqhubeka Forests in respect of state owned plantation forests in the northern Eastern Cape and northern KwaZulu-Natal during 2001.
With Amathola Forest Company, the State will lease approximately 25 000 ha of state forestland in the Eastern Cape. The Komatiland Forestry transaction will be completed in 2004 and will see transfer of the management of over 187 000 ha of state forestland.
2. PROPOSED PLAN AND CHALLENGES FOR THE SECOND DECADE OF DEMOCRACY: CONTRIBUTING TO THE FOUR BIG IDEAS
Water Services
Working through local government, the Department will seek to ensure that funds made available through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant are used to eradicate the backlog of water supply for the remaining 5 million rural people who have no access to formal infrastructure.
Similarly, there will be a focus on the promotion of improved sanitation for the 18 million South Africans who do not yet enjoy such amenities. This will be accompanied by programmes to promote improved hygiene and ensure that facilities are properly used and maintained. Promoting the programme to meet peoples basic needs by strengthening local democracy, i.e. an element of the social compact. South Africa expects to eradicate the current backlog of between 5 and 6 million people without access to water by 2008. In terms of sanitation, the programme is expected to eradicate the backlog, which currently stands at 16 million by the year 2010.
Water Resources
The National Water Resource Strategy will be implemented. The department will continue to work to ensure the reliability of supplies to key urban, industrial and agricultural water users and to support the continued development of mining and agriculture as well as urban and rural water supply through the construction of dams and related infrastructure on the Olifants River in Limpopo Province and the Berg River in the Western Cape. This will ensure better performance by the State, with the focus on decisive intervention to unlock any delivery logjams.
Co-operation with African countries will be strengthened in the context of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and SADC to promote the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals for access to water and sanitation, water for food and environmental protection, thereby improving the regional environment and implementing the NEPAD so we can weld together a number of southern African countries into a locomotive for faster growth in sub-Saharan Africa.
Forestry
Forestry restructuring will be completed and the expansion of commercial plantation forestry in the Eastern Cape will be promoted, a clear contribution to the challenge of addressing the social transition. The development of our indigenous forests and their conservation to be continued.
Issued by: Ministry of Water Affairs and Forestry
10 February 2004
Source: Ministry of Water Affairs and Forestry
Title: R Kasrils: Parliamentary Media Briefing, February 2004
BRIEFING NOTES FOR THE PARLIAMENTARY MEDIA BRIEFING BY MINISTER OF WATER AFFAIRS AND FORESTRY, RONNIE KASRILS, 10 February 2004
1. ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES FOR THE FIRST DECADE OF DEMOCRACY (1994-2003/4)
Water services
In 1994, national government for the first time took oversight responsibility for water services, which had previously been left at a local government level.
A White Paper on Water Services was produced in 1994 to guide this intervention. This was replaced by the Strategic Framework for Water Services (2003), which covers the delivery of basic services, including the provision of free basic water, which now reaches 76% of the population. It also covers the concept of improving the basic service level ("the water ladder") and measures needed to achieve sustainability as well as consumer protection.
Government in total provided through its various programs a basic water supply to an additional 13,4 million people (or 3,3 million households) by December 2003. The contribution by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry is a basic water supply facility to over 9 million rural people by end of 2003, that is more than 2 million (2,2 million) households. We will celebrate the 10 million recipient in 2004 as a fitting complement to ten years of democracy and development. Regarding sanitation the progress has been slower with 6,4 million people or 1,6 million households were provided with adequate or improved sanitation by December 2003.
Other government programs such as the Consolidated Municipal Infrastructure Programme (CMIP) as well as the housing programmes also funded access to higher levels of water services and flush toilets in urban areas and these were not included in the above figures.
The establishment of democratic local government has been a major achievement and will enable the department to transfer operational responsibility for water service provision to municipalities and to focus on its role of policy development, support and regulation.
Water resources
The National Water Policy White Paper and National Water Act, 1998 set out the framework for the management of water resources in South Africa intended to ensure that, even though South Africa is an arid, water stressed country, water does not constrain social and economic development and the environment is protected.
The National Water Resource Strategy (NWRS), a "blueprint for survival", outlines how this will be achieved. As required by the legislation, the draft NWRS has involved intensive consultation and the final version will be published early in 2004.
Implementation is well underway. The registration of significant users of raw water has been completed for the first time enabling proper management of the resources as well as implementation of a national water pricing strategy.
Excellent co-operation was achieved with neighbouring countries who share rivers with South Africa. The first phase of the Lesotho Highlands Project (1A - Katse Dam and tunnels; 1B - Mohale Dam and tunnels) was completed and is already protecting the economic Gauteng heartland of South Africa from drought as well as providing approximately 15% of Lesotho's annual budget.
Co-operation agreements have been finalised on a number of key rivers, notably the Orange-Senqu River (Namibia, Botswana and Lesotho) and the Komati and Pongola/Maputo rivers (Swaziland and Mozambique) and South Africa has ratified the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on the Management of Shared Rivers.
Forestry
August 1996 saw the launch of the National Forestry Action Programme (NFAP), designed to implement, in a structured way, the vision outlined in the March 1996 White Paper on Sustainable Forestry Development in South Africa. South Africa was praised internationally for its scientifically sound management of indigenous forests particularly the sustainable harvesting of indigenous timber from Knysna forests.
Restructuring of plantation forests made excellent progress. Forestry leases were completed with Singisi Forest Products and Siayaqhubeka Forests in respect of state owned plantation forests in the northern Eastern Cape and northern KwaZulu-Natal during 2001.
With Amathola Forest Company, the State will lease approximately 25 000 ha of state forestland in the Eastern Cape. The Komatiland Forestry transaction will be completed in 2004 and will see transfer of the management of over 187 000 ha of state forestland.
2. PROPOSED PLAN AND CHALLENGES FOR THE SECOND DECADE OF DEMOCRACY: CONTRIBUTING TO THE FOUR BIG IDEAS
Water Services
Working through local government, the Department will seek to ensure that funds made available through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant are used to eradicate the backlog of water supply for the remaining 5 million rural people who have no access to formal infrastructure.
Similarly, there will be a focus on the promotion of improved sanitation for the 18 million South Africans who do not yet enjoy such amenities. This will be accompanied by programmes to promote improved hygiene and ensure that facilities are properly used and maintained. Promoting the programme to meet peoples basic needs by strengthening local democracy, i.e. an element of the social compact. South Africa expects to eradicate the current backlog of between 5 and 6 million people without access to water by 2008. In terms of sanitation, the programme is expected to eradicate the backlog, which currently stands at 16 million by the year 2010.
Water Resources
The National Water Resource Strategy will be implemented. The department will continue to work to ensure the reliability of supplies to key urban, industrial and agricultural water users and to support the continued development of mining and agriculture as well as urban and rural water supply through the construction of dams and related infrastructure on the Olifants River in Limpopo Province and the Berg River in the Western Cape. This will ensure better performance by the State, with the focus on decisive intervention to unlock any delivery logjams.
Co-operation with African countries will be strengthened in the context of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and SADC to promote the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals for access to water and sanitation, water for food and environmental protection, thereby improving the regional environment and implementing the NEPAD so we can weld together a number of southern African countries into a locomotive for faster growth in sub-Saharan Africa.
Forestry
Forestry restructuring will be completed and the expansion of commercial plantation forestry in the Eastern Cape will be promoted, a clear contribution to the challenge of addressing the social transition. The development of our indigenous forests and their conservation to be continued.
Issued by: Ministry of Water Affairs and Forestry
10 February 2004
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