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WESSA Chairman of the Board Dr Richard Lewis delivered a hard hitting address to paddlers and race supporters at the
BSi/WESSA Vaal Canoe Marathon which took place on 3 and 4 November in Gauteng.

Speaking at the finish of the 2012 event, Dr Lewis cited the mismanagement of our water supplies, and the
misappropriation of public funds as two of the most significant factors contributing to the potential water crisis South
Africa is facing. He also highlighted the lack of accountability around issues such as acid mine water drainage and the
severe lack of essential water engineers in numerous municipalities leading to the collapse of water treatment plants ‐
this, in turn, sometimes resulting in pure sewage flowing into water supply systems, and some communities and towns
going for months without water.

Dr Lewis commended BSi Steel and Johannesburg Canoe Club for their commitment to helping raise awareness about
the country’s potential water crisis through their respective funding and organising of the annual event. He also called
on others to partner with WESSA to enable the organisation to have the means to move beyond awareness creation and
play a strong role in seeking solutions and creating accountability for the conservation of water ‐ South Africa’s precious
resource. Dr Lewis stressed the need to turn the situation around and WESSA CEO Dr Thommie Burger has concurred,
adding: “As a country, we need serious reform in the management of our water resources.”

This is the third year running that WESSA has joined BSi Steel to co‐endorse the canoe marathon, recognising the
potential of civil society and business working together within the realm of sport to make South Africans aware of the
state of our rivers as the life blood of a developing nation. Garth Barnes, WESSA’s National Director of Conservation and
head of the organisation’s Catchments to Coast Water Programme, explained: “The organisation strives to work with all
sectors of society in order to achieve its mission, which is ‘to implement high impact environmental and conservation
projects which promote public participation in caring for the Earth’ and we take great delight in partnering with
visionaries like BSi Steel’s Chief Executive Officer Grant Mackenzie, who sees the future as belonging to all generations.”
Emphasising the importance of business and canoeists working together for the health of South Africa’s rivers, Chairman
of the Johannesburg Canoe Club and event organiser, Peter Rossouw, remarked: “Many of our rivers are regularly
paddled by our canoeists in organised races and virtually every weekend just to enjoy being out on the water.

Due to their constant contact with our river environment, they are remarkably placed to monitor the quality of the river
environment. Many are very keen to be engaged practically in a strategic plan for effective river health management.”
WESSA will continue to strengthen ties with BSi Steel and the canoeing fraternity and has, to this end, recently signed a
Memorandum of Understanding with CanoeingSA to ensure the wise stewardship of the surface waters in Gauteng and
across the country.

Now in its 56th year, the BSi Steel/WESSA Vaal Canoe Marathon is also known as ‘South Africa’s Toughest Marathon’
and paddlers cover an impressive total distance of 73km over two days, starting at Eden Manor in Vanderbijl Park and
finishing at Likkewaan Canoe Club in Parys.

Dr Richard Lewis’ full address at the 2012 BSi Steel/WESSA Vaal Canoe Marathon follows:
“It gives me great pleasure to be able to speak to you again at the completion of this magnificent race, a dual
pleasure again as a Board member of BSi Steel, who have for the third year running sponsored this race, and as
Chairman of the Board of WESSA (The Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa), the environmental partner
in the event. I am proud that BSi Steel has retained the commitment to help raise awareness of the predicament of
our water crisis through funding this event, and to the Johannesburg Canoe Club and their friends who have once
again organised the race so well.

Since I first addressed all of you three years ago, WESSA has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with CanoeSA
whereby we will attempt to have a presence at as many paddling events as possible, continuing to raise awareness
and calling people to action. Certain clubs are offering to set up environment committees of concerned members
who are willing to try and assist in our mission in caring about our waters in their localities.
I want to be brief, but if I am brief it means you can give me your full attention as I need to point out that what I am
about to say, I say in all earnestness, as I become increasingly concerned about the situation that is developing with
regard to water in SA.

We are facing a potential water crisis of note in this country. We happen to be in one of the driest 30 countries in
the world and we will continue to become drier. Whilst we do experience a water supply problem, a far more
serious problem is the unacceptable levels of pure mismanagement of our water supplies, especially within many
municipalities. Added to this, public funds keep getting poured into the hands of inept or corrupt provincial or
municipal officials only to be squandered or misappropriated – huge salaries are paid out for non‐present and lowperforming
officials and staff, meaningless highly‐paid positions are created for pals, mayoral or provincial car
fleets are continuously upgraded, unnecessary and meaningless trips and conferences attended at the expense of
basic service delivery ‐ of which safe water is probably the most important of all.

Against the backdrop of the missing or misspent funds within provincial departments and municipalities, we have
the stark reality that there are approximately 80 municipalities that do not have water engineers, meaning that
water treatment plants are collapsing or have already ceased operating, pure sewage in some cases flows into
water supply systems, and some communities and towns go for months without water. The acid mine water
drainage in respect of the Vaal catchment area continues to deposit thousands of tons of uranium, and other toxic
substances, causing water in some areas to be toxic, and dangerous to human health. But what do we face; many
officials not present or bothered to respond to enquiries; some guilty companies turning a blind eye; no
accountability to be found – and it’s not getting better.

You have finished a long race and I am sure you are tired – the word ‘tired’ is a good and apt word for this topic as
well. I am sure we can all agree that we are:

•  Tired of communities and towns in SA going for months without water;
•  Tired of the indifference and incompetence of so many, especially within local government, who are

accountable for this debacle;

•  Tired of realising that we have some places where people are bathing and drinking water that is unhealthy when

they used to have such fine water;

•  Tired of our water sports such as swimming marathons and canoeing being plagued by high levels of illness due

to filthy water, much of it with alarming levels of E.coli;

•  Tired of watching the wetlands of the country being destroyed – over 50% of them – when we know that

wetlands are the kidneys of the country;

•  Tired that so many good citizens try in so many ways to responsibly save water and then hearing, for example,

that the Municipalities in the Free State are losing more than eight billion litres of water a month, much of it
through pipes that have not been maintained.

All of it is unacceptable – and we all know that.
So this is the serious challenge I once again put to you – please support the collaborative partnership we are
building between the knowledge within WESSA, the power of corporate and individual funding, and the passion of
sport – this sport that you love so much. It’s a sport that I know particularly attracts many who are extremely
successful, influential and powerful people. Many of you either have your own companies or you are decision
makers within the corporate world. I urge you, join WESSA, donate to WESSA, partner your company with WESSA,
such as BSi Steel has done today, and in this way you will enable us to have the means to move beyond awareness
creation and really play a strong role in seeking solutions, providing assistance and pushing to create accountability
in matters dealing with this precious resource. We are thrilled that the Local Government SETA has now accredited
WESSA and our training in aspects of environmental management and care, which is now taking place at local
government level – so there are solutions. We have to start, as a nation, to seriously turn this situation around.
Please join and donate through our website www.wessa.org.za or call me, or our National Conservation Director
(Garth Barnes) if you wish to explore how you or your company may wish to support or partner WESSA. It’s not
irreversible, we can make a difference – WESSA is determined to be a champion in this cause, and I believe that all
of you here especially, want to do something about this: now you know what you can do.
Thank you for your attention.”