President: Water could eclipse energy crisis

YEARS of drought have put immense pressure on South Africa’s water system with a devastating impact on agriculture and communities. Water insecurity will become the biggest developmental and economic challenge facing the country, unless drastic measures are taken to conserve sources and promote efficient use, President Cyril Ramaphosa warned yesterday.

In his weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa said during a recent visit to villages around Lephalale in Limpopo, residents all raised access to water as key to sustaining their lives, supporting agriculture, driving business and supplying the nearby Medupi power station.

With an average annual rainfall of 500mm compared to a global average of 860mm, South Africa is the world’s 30th driest country and a decade-long drought has devastated communities in the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Western Cape, Free State and Mpumalanga.

Dam levels are on average around 58% full, compared to 69% for the same time last year.

“Our existing water systems are already over-exploited as usage increases rapidly, due to population growth and as more homes get connected to water. Combine this with the worsening effects of climate change and we are clearly facing a dire situation,” Ramaphosa wrote.

“Unless we take drastic measures to conserve water sources and promote efficient use, water insecurity will become our biggest developmental and economic challenge. Our current energy challenges will seem small by comparison.”

He said while the country had made substantial progress in providing water to citizens in the past 25 years, access to water and deteriorating water quality continued to fuel service-delivery protests.

“We must improve access to water for communities, upgrade water infrastructure, and manage water more carefully or face social unrest,” the president said.

“Water security isn’t just integral to ensuring the well-being of the people, it is critical to the economy, and our goal to accelerate industrialisation and expand mining and agriculture.”

This year, the government provided R260 million in response to the drought, and has offered support to farmers to buy fodder, reticulate water for livestock and for dam de-silting.

Given the severity of the crisis, disaster management authorities are working with provinces and municipalities to re-prioritise budgets for relief and recovery, Ramaphosa said.