Stifling drought now on cabinet’s agenda

THE WATER crises in parts of the Eastern and Western Cape made its way onto the agenda of cabinet on Wednesday.

National government spokeswoman Phumla Williams said that on Friday cabinet had received a report on the drought, and that it “has noted the deterioration of the drought situation in the Eastern and Western Cape.”

A multi-departmental team, headed by the Department of Water Affairs and Sanitation (WAS), has been formed to find short-, mid- and longterm solutions to curb the effects of the drought in both provinces.

Water Affairs spokesman Mlimandlela Ndamase said the hardest hit area in the Eastern Cape is the Nelson Mandela Metro, which has registered a significant shortage at Churchill Dam, which is sitting at 13.10% of its capacity.

The water shortage crisis has been exacerbated by the collapse of the Kirkwood Canal, which supplies water to the Nooitgedacht Scheme – cutting the metro’s water supply by 30%, according to local media reports.

Ndamase said the task team is focusing specifically on Nelson Mandela Metro and the Western Cape.

“The team will assess the Bay and provide a report with possible responses,” Ndamase said.

On the Western Cape water shortage crisis, Ndamase said Water Affairs Minister Nomvula Mokonyane held a meeting with Western Cape Cogta MEC Anton Bredell in March and “as one of the outcomes, the team has put together a plan to support the province and align efforts towards short-, medium- and long-term solutions to the drought”.

He said the water indaba held last week was an outcome of those engagements.

For the Western Cape crisis, Ndamase said the team is looking at a number of interventions, such as the Table Mountain Group aquifer, the fast-tracking of the Berg RiverVoëlvlei Augmentation Scheme, as well as desalination and the reuse and recycling of water.

The team comprises officials from Mokonyane’s department, the national disaster management committee working with the provinces and local government.

Williams said cabinet called on communities to support the water restrictions introduced by the two provinces and asked that all South Africans, including domestic users, businesses, mining sector, energy and agriculture, work together and use water more sparingly.

She said the Eastern Cape province received a special mention for its successful programme of revitalising the Vulindlela Heights Industrial Zone in Mthatha.

“This is part of the country’s revitalisation of industrial parks programme. It is the second of its kind in the Eastern Cape and one of six parks being revitalised across the country,” Williams said.

The state embarked on a multimillionprogramme to revitalise all its industrial parks, to boost job creation and ensure inclusive growth.