SA withers as water laws are ignored

IN response to “Hey neighbour, I need some of that dam water” (January 24), the cries of some commercial farmers about how many people they employ and how much they produce need to be read in the context of how much of our land they have rendered barren and how rich they have become at the expense of others — how many they have put out of jobs and a livelihood.

Farmers sell their farms as they dry them up, and buy where there is water and so on . . . the country will surely die a slow and painful death if this is allowed to continue.

Excavating in river beds, the clearing of riverine bush, the diversion of streams and building of dams, the overplanting of areas relative to approved rights, the planting of waterthirsty crops in dry areas, all without authorisation, and the poisoning of our streams and rivers, cannot represent responsible behaviour.

All landowners need to take responsibility for the removal of encroaching water-thirsty aliens.

Every South African who has had the privilege of an education needs to take responsibility for driving the future sustainability of our country — short-term pain for long-term gain.

In 1998 the National Water Act and the National Environmental Management Act were promulgated to remedy the injustices of apartheid and to drive the equitable sharing of water and the sustainability of our environment and our water resources.

Both are world-acclaimed acts which have been adopted and successfully applied by other African countries. These two acts are now more than 17 years old and, despite the water crisis, there is a failure to apply them here.

Millions are being wasted on public and private sector legal battles due to the ineffectual application of our laws and regulations.

Millions are unemployed and our country is drying up.

Let’s unite as a nation and build a prosperous country for the benefit of all — not just the privileged few. — Richard Butt, by e-mail