CoGHSTA minister urges locals to use water sparingly
"South Africans have shown they become stronger when tested, I therefore believe if we work together, we can save water"
LIMPOPO – Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Des van Rooyen, said everyone needs to approach the effects of the current drought with sober minds as the water shortage is a nation-wide crisis.
Van Rooyen urged all sectors and departments to engage communities across the country, explaining the impact of this natural phenomenon.
“The reality is, the Tatha Vondo Dam, Nandoni Dam and other big dams in the Vhembe District are drying up. Despite this, South Africans have shown they become stronger when tested, I therefore believe if we work together, we can save water,” he said.
He also urged Inter-Ministerial Task Team (IMTT) members and departments to continue working with other sectors to mitigate the impact of the drought. “Even though El Nino has passed, there is still a chance that the country might experience La Nino, which is characterised by heavy rains and floods,” he said.
The Head of the National Disaster Management Centre, Ken Terry said all sectors in the country are affected, with agriculture being the worst. According to him, the availability of livestock feed and water for both human and livestock is another major challenge.
“Conditions in the affected areas are further exacerbated by factors such as the poor state of water related infrastructure, water losses and the lack of implementation of stringent water conservation measures. Concerns were raised regarding the generalised declarations by provinces without taking into consideration the actual conditions on the ground, available resources within municipalities and provinces, as well as the inclusion of non-drought related matters such as lack of maintenance and vandalism of infrastructure,” Terry said.
He too urged people not to waste water as it is becoming a scarce resource.
