Terwyl Nkandla ‘n nasionale sleutelpunt is, word Suid-Afrika se uiters strategiese wateraanlegte nie as belangrik genoeg geag om ook as nasionale sleutelpunte geklassifiseer te word nie, sê adv. Anton Alberts, die VF Plus se parlementêre woordvoerder oor Water en sanitasie.
Adv. Alberts sê die onlangse watertekorte by Rand Water in Gauteng het opnuut gewys hoe allerbelangrik water vir die land se normale voortbestaan is, en daarom is die minister van water en sanitasie, Nomvula Mokonyane, se erkenning hieroor ‘skokkend en uiters kommerwekkend’.
In ‘n geskrewe parlementêre vraag oor die aangeleentheid het adv. Alberts aan die minister gevra of sy, in die lig van die onlangse watertekorte, dit sal oorweeg om Rand Water en ander strategiese wateraanlegte as nasionale sleutelpunte te laat verklaar ten einde sekuriteit te verhoog.
In haar antwoord sê Mokonyane die besluit lê by die minister van verdediging, en dat ‘n ‘risiko-analise’ jaarliks by al die aanlegte gedoen word om beveiliging te ‘verbeter’.
Sy het gesê die uitgebreide waterinfrastruktuur soos pypleidings oor die hele land is die meeste blootgestel, maar dat waterrade baie doen om dit te beskerm en te beveilig.
Adv. Alberts sê dit is duidelik dat daar nie ware erns is om een van die land se belangrikste natuurlike hulpbronne genoegsaam te beskerm nie. Hy sê die balans tussen beskikbaarheid en voorsiening is fyn gekalibreer en die geringste probleem kan groot ontberings veroorsaak.
“Indien daar regtig ‘n probleem by een van die groot aanlegte kom, kan dit die land in ‘n krisis dompel. Tog beskou die staat die staatspresident se omstrede huis as ‘n veel belangriker nasionale bate en prioriteit om beskerm te word. Dit sal moet verander,” sê adv. Alberts.
Kontaknommers: 082 391 3117 / 083 419 5403
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO 2148
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 24 OCTOBER 2014
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 19)
2148. Adv A de W Alberts (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Water and Sanitation:
Whether, in light of the recent water shortages in Gauteng, she will give consideration to declaring Rand Water and other stategic water entities in the country as national keypoints in order to improve security; if not, (a) why not and (b) what alternatives will be put in place to improve security; if so, what are the relevant details? NW2622E
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REPLY:
No, as a Minister of Water and Sanitation I do not have powers to declare Rand Water or any strategic water institution a National Key Point. This power is vested in the Minister of Defence through the National Key Point Act (Act No. 102 of 1980) and subsequently transferred to Minister of South African Police in 2004.However all the water institutions undertake risk assessments on an annual basis to improve security on water works. In the case of Rand Water, Suikerbosrand water purification works has been declared a National Key Point.
Due to the nature of bulk water supply and location and spread of associated infrastructure, critical components such as electrical supply and the bulk water delivery pipelines which cover vast distances over rural and urban landscape are the most vulnerable. Water boards continue to invest in improved security and technology (fencing, beam system, CCTV cameras) to protect the water works assets that are critical to ensure reliability of supply.
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