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Polity
Published: 01 Sep 2003
Kasrils: Parliamentary Media Briefing, September 2003 (01/09/2003)
Date: 01/09/2003
Source: Ministry of Water Affairs and Forestry
Title: Kasrils: Parliamentary Media Briefing, September 2003


PARLIAMENTARY MEDIA BRIEFING BY MR RONNIE KASRILS, MP, MINISTER OF WATER AFFAIRS AND FORESTRY, 1 September 2003

Introduction

On 30 August 1999 I faced many of you present here today, in this very same room, when I engaged you at my very first parliamentary media briefing as the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry.

At that time I had just completed seventy days as Minister and had travelled extensively throughout the country visiting various communities and projects, coming face to face with terrible poverty in which many of our people lived in.

During that briefing I elaborated on my findings with regard to the delivery of water and sanitation to our rural communities - the Community Water Supply and Sanitation Programme (CWSS). I said at that time that our immediate challenges with regard to this Programme was to speed up delivery, to put in place a mechanism that ensured that those who could not pay for water would at least get an allocation for free, investigate what were the issues as to why some of the projects were not functioning effectively and when will we get an accurate as possible estimation of the people that need to be served. I have also emphasised the need to deal with the sanitation backlog.

I would like to spend some the time at today's briefing to elaborate on the progress we have achieved with regard to these issues.

Census 2001: Do the numbers add up?

One of the first things I did when I came into the Department was to check the numbers. I needed to confirm whether our delivery claims were correct, whether the backlog was what and where we said it was.

I have previously mentioned that the Census 2001 would answer many of these questions. And I am glad to say that it has delivered and that we are now able to confirm the position.

I am pleased to say that, in general, the figures correspond closely to those we have reported.

The Census has also shown us that we need a refinement of how we measure access to basic water services. Previously we merely said, "served" or "unserved". This is no longer good enough and as we move up the water ladder it has become necessary to redefine access to basic water supply and sanitation services. Now we have to talk about "how well served" or "how far up the ladder".

With this in mind the census updated to 2003 has provided us with the following information:

* 5 million people still need access to a basic supply of water or are without the bare minimum supply. These are people who take water directly from dams, pools, streams or rivers, springs or purchase water from water vendors
* 6,2 million people have access to a basic supply, but the service still needs to be improved to meet RDP standards. These are people who obtain water from sources that are further than 200 metres away. Our focus is to bring them water within 200 metres of their household.

In fact we must strive to bring as many people as possible up to a higher level of service, i.e. access in their yards or in their houses so that they also can share in the benefit that many South Africans are currently enjoying.

In sanitation too, the figures we have provided have been pretty accurate. What Census 2001 has highlighted is the fact that the number of households has increased faster than the population rate, increasing the target number of toilets, which still have to be provided. Based on the Census our estimation is that between 17 to 18 million people do not have adequate sanitation.

The Census has also highlighted some important trends, which will have an impact on our programmes:

* Rapid urbanisation is very evident, suggesting that South Africa's Metro Municipalities will face challenges typical to cities in a developing country
* Household size is shrinking and there are more households. This affects us as we move up the water ladder since more household connections will be needed (which is not a problem while we are only providing services through public taps.). Obviously, the sanitation programme will also have to deliver more toilets.

As we continue to eradicate this backlog, our challenge is to ensure that our people move up the water ladder. We must ensure that there is delivery from the communal tap to services in peoples' own yards. That's what I mean by: "Climbing the water ladder".

"Climbing the water ladder": White Paper on Water Services

Climbing the water ladder is a key element of the water services policy review, which is currently coming to an end with the White Paper on Water Services being placed before Cabinet during the next few weeks. The White Paper provides a comprehensive review of policy with respect to the water services sector in South Africa and provides a policy framework for the next 10 years.

The question has been asked why a new White Paper? It has been more than eight years since the first Water Supply and Sanitation Policy White Paper was published. It focused on a new national water services function and the immediate role of national government in the delivering basic water and sanitation services rapidly to unserved people, primarily in rural areas. Since 1994 the context has changed significantly.

The Local Government Elections in 2000 have transformed local government. It is now possible for local government to assume full operational responsibility for water and sanitation services as required by the Constitution. The role of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry will be changing to that of being a sector leader, supporter and regulator.

This White Paper puts forward a vision, goals and specific targets for the water services sector in South Africa for the next 10 years and sets out policy to achieve these, within the framework of local government policy.

The White Paper addresses the full spectrum of water supply and sanitation services and all relevant institutions and will replace the 1994 White Paper on Water Supply and Sanitation. The White Paper on Basic Household Sanitation (2001) will also be amended to ensure compatibility with this new White Paper.

Of fundamental importance the White Paper addresses backlogs, improving levels of service and investment in water services. Most of these targets reflect goals already set by Cabinet, summarised for the first time. Our vision and that of the White Paper is that these targets will be achieved by the water services sector collectively. They should, therefore, be seen as broad targets to strive towards rather than as financial commitments. The detailed financial requirements and commitments will be determined through the normal planning and budgetary processes of national and local government. Our investigations have concluded that the targets are financially feasible

Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG)

Our programme of delivery has been a major success and will continue to eradicate the basic water services backlog. As local government begins to fulfil its constitutional responsibility with regard to delivery of basic services, my Department is committed to assist with the development of the new integrated Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG). We are participating in the process that has been established to create the new system. Our challenge is for MIG to maintain the momentum of delivery towards the achievement of the stated government objectives for water services.

I support the MIG system. It is essential that local government start accepting their responsibilities and accountability towards service delivery. MIG will certainly facilitate and ensure more effective and integrated service delivery.

MIG does have several challenges and these must not be overlooked. If we are to meet our water services delivery target, the eradication of backlogs for access to water and sanitation by 2008 and 2010 respectively, then future funding of water and sanitation services through the MIG must be sufficient.

Challenges facing Sanitation

I have already mentioned the challenges we face to continue our programme of water services delivery. Our sanitation delivery programme currently faces severe challenges if we are to meet our target date of 2010.

We have had to increase the sanitation subsidy, which had been unchanged since 1995 to reflect inflation (from R1 200,00 to R2 100,00). This figure of R2100, 00 is for infrastructure only. We continue to ramp up our delivery from 50 000 toilets last year to 85 000 this year and we will continue until we achieve that 300 000 annually that we need to meet our target of 2010.

But there is also limited capacity in local government institutions, which is slowing down delivery. This is caused by a variety of reasons including a lack of understanding of sanitation issues, in particular, not recognising the importance of community development and participation that, world-wide, has been shown to produce buy-in and successful programmes.

So how is South Africa going to meet its sanitation target by 2010?

If we are to meet the target, to which we are committed, we will have to think big and beyond business as usual. I do not believe that the funding is the most important challenge. Government has given sanitation high political priority. It is an intervention that speaks to peoples' dignity as well as to their health.

The challenge is to make sanitation a national campaign, a national movement. I envisage our sanitation programme as part of the Expanded Public Works Programme, a community based, job creating activity that empowers people as well as improving their health. Working with municipalities, our approach would see community members trained as builders, running their own businesses.

We estimate that, with an allocation of R700 million per year, we will be able to create more than 50 000 jobs over three years, 17 000 per year."

Together with our sister departments, we are currently addressing these challenges and remain committed to meeting our targets.

Service Sustainability

All these achievements in providing services turn to dust if we cannot keep them working. Many individuals have asked whether the systems we have built are working as we intended. I am aware that water supply does not end when pipes are put into the ground. What happens when the pipes burst? When diesel must be brought for the pumps? When the operator fails to open the valves to a community? When some people take more than their share of water at the expense of others down the pipeline? These issues confront my officials and communities daily.

My Department has in the past indicated our findings to these issues, which as many of you are aware has been rejected by certain stakeholders. For an objective opinion, I asked Dr David Hemson from the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), to investigate a representative sample of projects funded by my Department in KwaZulu-Natal. I have asked him to present his findings to you today.

Before he does so, I would like to say that his report did not give us full marks - I did not expect a 100%. His team visited 23 schemes in the province. 17 (74%) were supplying water as intended. Only one had a technical problem - needing a pump. In three, there was no water because neither the community nor local government had paid for diesel or electricity. In the last two, there was community conflict over how the scheme should be run and who should benefit.

These findings have been very helpful, as they have provided us with the answers to questions around sustainability of the schemes. Indeed many of the problems I have mentioned have already been addressed.

I value the research that Dr Hemson has done. I have had discussions with the Water Research Commission (WRC) on how we can further develop and implement such approaches. I am pleased to announce that the Commission found this to be an important research topic and has agreed in principle to support future studies in this regard. The WRC has agreed to put special emphasis on further developing the methodology and related processes with the aim to establish a high quality assessment tool, which will be built on a sound technical/scientific basis.

This tool will support wide application and replication throughout South Africa and will allow periodical reassessment of the situation. This, in turn, will provide the sector with the benefit of feedback and support the culture of continuous improvement. The WRC is currently discussing the scope of this research project with Dr Hemson and the HSRC.

Our challenge now is to focus on strengthening local government and its management to ensure that these occurrences do not impact on our delivery of services.

Transfer of forestry and water services projects

I have already previously announced that a total of 1 577 water and sanitation schemes operated by my Department will be transferred to 84 municipalities.

Good progress is being made by the transfer team, which includes the National Treasury, the Department of Provincial and Local Government, my Department as well as the South African Local Government Association (SALGA). This team has established policies for the transfer, which will guide local level transfer negotiations and ensure that services are maintained during the process.

Negotiations are also underway for the transfer of the 8 094 Departmental staff who operate the schemes. Surveys have been done of the staffing requirements and overstaffing is being dealt with in terms of current agreements on the restructuring of the Public Service. There is budget provision to protect the conditions of employment of the employees concerned.

Our target is to complete all transfers by June 2005, 90 schemes during this financial year, with all conditional grants (subsidies) phased out by June 2011, at which stage the conditional grants will be incorporated into the equitable share allocations to local government.

With regard to the restructuring of the State owned forests jointly with the Department of Public Enterprises the two first packages were transferred to Singisi and Siyaqhubekha. The Komatiland Package is back in the public market and a due diligence is currently in process by the short listed bidders.

Negotiations with CTR, the preferred bidder for the MTO Package in Western Cape are at a final stage. Negotiations are also at a final stage with Rance, the preferred bidder, for the Amatola Package in Eastern Cape.

My Department and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and the provincial governments are working closely in identifying areas, which need to be established as national conservation areas. The key objective is the management of natural resources on sustainable basis and its socio-economic benefits in terms of job creation and economic empowerment of communities living around these areas.

We are committed to the protection of the environment and the sustainable management of the forests. Hence some of the plantations have been converted into natural state and handed over to the management of environmental or other appropriate agencies.

Finally, the internal restructuring in terms of Public Service Resolution 7, which is now coming to an end is also proceeding well, notwithstanding the fact that, outside of the Protection Services, my Department is the largest national department. The Department originally identified approximately 3 454 employees were excess to the Department's requirements, but fortunately to date the majority of these employees have been redeployed elsewhere in the Department. Steps are afoot to try to accommodate as far as possible the about 800 remaining excess employees, either in the Department as well, or elsewhere in the Public Service.

National Water Resource Strategy

The National Water Resource Strategy should be published in November 2003. As I have said previously, the strategy is our blueprint for survival. The strategy will be our instrument that will address how we protect our water, allocate the right to use it, develop and manage it. Simply put we will use our water resources to meet the needs of our people - to create jobs and support sustained economic development while ensuring that aquatic ecosystems, on which all life depends, are protected.

The current drought being experienced in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal highlights the importance of managing efficiently the water we have. In order to assure domestic water supplies, I have had to impose tough restrictions, particularly in Mpumalanga - in both the Highveld and the Lowveld.

If these drought conditions persist into the early summer rainy season, which is a strong possibility, based on past records, we may face emergency situations in many rural communities as their water sources dry up. Since it is not clear whether the affected provincial and local governments will be able to fund the additional expenses required for emergency relief I have liased particularly with the Minister of Provincial and Local Government to ensure that we can make funds available to ensure provision of water to affected communities should this become necessary.

In the meantime I am appealing to farmers to abide by the restrictions we have put in place thereby ensuring we have sufficient water for domestic supplies. Our priority during droughts such as the one we are experiencing must be water to meet the basic needs of our people.

Issued by Ministry of Water Affairs and Forestry
1 September 2003