WHILE consumers still grapple to cope with load shedding, the news of ‘water shedding’ from 1 February spells a double blow to the regional economy.
Zululanders face severe water restrictions as the prolonged drought, declining dam levels and excessive heat take their toll.
The sad reality is that authorities and the public cannot say ‘they never saw it coming’.
Failure to act on predictions in the late nineties and beginning of 2000 of a catastrophic water shortage has finally brought us to the current emergency situation.
The move by the Department of Water and Sanitation last week to demand severe cuts in water usage across the region, is no warning drill.
We have been hit by a severe drought and unless there is some drastic change in the weather patterns, restriction measures will worsen.
With effect from next week, the agricultural sector – the largest user of water – has to cut its water usage by half, while urban and household users will face a 10% reduction and industry and commerce a compulsory 5% saving.
This has dire consequences for the agricultural and sugar industry in particular, as disrupted business and reduced yields on farms could signal many job losses.
Last week, one of South Africa’s biggest sugar producers, Illovo Sugar, announced that it was closing its Umzimkulu mill for the 2015 milling season starting in April.
The company blamed significantly below-average rainfall which severely affected cane supplies for the forthcoming season.
There are fears that next year’s crop is also going to be affected, as the planting season has been delayed by the drought. This will be felt downstream and could lead to the temporary closing down of some mills and workers being laid off.
Solutions
Rural communities in KwaMbonambi, Mfolozi and Ntambanana have also been the hardest hit, but this has been a problem for years way before the drought surfaced and boreholes had dried up.
Yet no real solutions have been found and expensive water tankers continue to be the quick fix solution to treat the symptom and not the problem.
This is a wake-up call.
Each citizen must value water as our very livelihoods are dependent on this scarce commodity.
According to an Institute for Security Studies report, South Africans use 235 litres (62 gallons) of water a day compared to the international average of 173 litres, and this is pushing the country into a water crisis.
Co-author of the report, Jakkie Cilliers, said 60% of the 223 river ecosystems were threatened and 25% were critical.
It is high time that authorities come up with long-term solutions, including alternate water sources.
While we welcomed the showers of relief on Tuesday night, it does not signal the end of the drought.
We have to start using water sparingly and start now.
