(Debate in NCOP: Water quality in South Africa and government’s efforts and responsibility towards clean water and security)
The water crisis in South Africa makes a mockery of government’s mission statement about serving “the people of South Africa” and shows how out of touch the ANC is with reality.
This is demonstrated by the following statement on the Department of Water and Sanitation’s website:
“Our mission is to serve the people of South Africa by making a positive impact on our country and its people as custodians of our water and sanitation resources, and as innovative and committed partners in the drive for sustainable development.
We are service and delivery oriented. We strive to get it right the first time, every time, on time – ensuring that our citizens are provided with the water and sanitation services they deserve.”
The FF Plus can only shake its head in unbelief.
The reality experienced by millions of South Africans paints a very different picture. The decay of water infrastructure and the pollution of scarce resources have reached a critical tipping point.
The replies to questions posed by the FF Plus to the Minister of Environmental Affairs, Barbara Creecy, about sewage spilling into the Gariep Dam, the impact thereof and what the Department is doing about it show that the ANC and its Minister are not serious about addressing pollution.
The Minister admitted that she has been aware of the issue for two years, but merely shifted the responsibility to act to other departments. It leaves her cold. Meanwhile, nothing has been done.
Like elsewhere in the country, there is not a single fully functional sewage treatment plant in the Free State.
Over the course of the last three decades, millions of rand was earmarked for the maintenance, upgrading and construction of new infrastructure, but there is nothing but deterioration and decay all around.
Still, the ANC, in its delusional state of denial, keeps clinging to its supposed mission and boasting about its so-called achievements. No one falls for it anymore, though.
According to the latest census, there are 11 million people in South Africa who still do not have access to running water, while 48% of all households experience frequent water outages lasting two or more days.
Nearly 30% of our population does not have access to flush toilets. More than 11 million people are still using pit latrines.
Water is not a luxury. It is a basic human right enshrined in South Africa’s Constitution. But it means nothing to government.
The time has come to cleanse the country of its polluted water and the ANC. There is an opportunity to do so with next year’s general elections.
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