Let the water plan come together

Given the blame game which has been played by government departments and municipalities over the past few years about the water crisis in Gauteng, it was surprising to hear a minister admit that our water problems are self-inflicted.

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina said this week: “We are not in a drought situation in Gauteng. We are in a crisis. The crisis is caused by lack of maintenance of the water infrastructure and illegal connections.”

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Yet, like many other ANC apparatchiks before her, she couldn’t resist using the phrase “challenges”, – as if the crisis had suddenly materialised out of thin air – rather than being directly due to the ruling party’s incompetence and cadre deployment the past 30 years.

However, Majodina did seem to lay out a solid road map for how to get out of the crisis – something even government critics acknowledged.

The grand plan for proper management of Gauteng water resources includes planning to release water from the Sterkfontein Dam, should the Vaal dam fall below the critical 18% mark during the current maintenance shutdown of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.

It also includes “creating a single point of accountability for water functions in the city”.

“The intention is to give Joburg Water control over the functions related to managing water supply in the city so that it can be held accountable,” she said.

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Maintenance and repairs will also be increased. There is still, understandably, a need for Gauteng residents to adhere to the Level One water restrictions.

It is vital that this new, sensible, way of managing our water resources is implemented with vigour and there is no backsliding.

We need to be prepared for inevitable droughts and to ward off a possible “Day Zero” scenario.