The Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation welcomes the proposed Criminal Amendment Bill and views it as a timely tool to deal with increasing acts of vandalism and theft of infrastructure.

The Committee reiterates its call that these acts of vandalism and theft represent the biggest threat to water provision and general development in the country. The Bill, when signed into law, will ensure that stricter conditions for granting of bail as well as imposition of harsher sentences to perpetrators. The Committee further welcomes the fact that the Bill seeks to clearly define essential infrastructure which will make it easy to enforce.

The Committee is of the view that this will act as necessary deterrent to vandals and thieves. The Committee looks forward to discussing and deliberating on the Bill as it undertakes the necessary Parliamentary processes.

Meanwhile, the Committee has called for the intensification of enforcement initiatives in order to reduce the pollution of the country’s water resources. To achieve this, the Committee has suggested the more investment be made towards public awareness campaigns; improved intergovernmental collaborations geared towards ensuring enforcement and increased collaboration with law enforcement agencies to enable prosecution of transgressors.

The Committee has welcomed the review of Section 151 of the National Water Act which deals with offences and penalties to ensure that harsher sentences are meted out against polluters. “The Committee has always been of the view that the current penalties are not adequate especially for a finite resource as water. It’s on this basis that we welcome the review,” said Mr Mlungisi Johnson, Chairperson of the Committee.

Furthermore, the Committee welcomes the establishment of the Infrastructure Rapid Response Unit that will work with municipalities to address issues such as wastewater infrastructure challenges, lack of technical and operational skills as well as augmenting the department’s capacity to quickly respond to disasters. The Committee is hopeful that these interventions will bear fruit.  

Issued by Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation, Mr Mlungisi Johnson