Wake up, Capetonians

IT STANDS to reason that the failure to use our water resources prudently cannot be allowed to happen with impunity.

The recent rainfalls in the Western Cape must be viewed only as temporary relief.

The ever-fluctuating levels of water use, from normal to extreme, is an indication of our abject failure to heed the call to adhere to the restrictions.

Despite calls to conserve water, we are not responding as urgently as we should by adapting to the reality of radically changing weather patterns and dwindling water levels.

Our lukewarm attitude towards water conservation could put us in a very awkward situation. In a seemingly bizarre justification for not saving enough water, a charge has been advanced by a number of sectors that not enough has been done in the way of building infrastructure to store water.

This assertion, however, ignores the fact that role-players, including the private sector, have not invested in this area. The government is channelling huge sums of money which could have been used to build infrastructure.

The government cannot shirk this responsibility in the face of the suffering of the people. It has to intervene, and often this requires huge amounts of money, as shown by the recent price tag of more than R433 million announced for immediate drought relief.

HOSIA SITHOLE

Communicator

Department of Water and Sanitation