The Department of water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu will in the coming weeks announce measures to address the water challenges in the country per province.
This was announced by Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, on Thursday while briefing the media on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday.
This as President Cyril Ramaphosa concluded his visit to Hammanskraal, in the north of Pretoria, following an outbreak of Cholera which claimed 29 lives across the province.
Minister Ntshavheni said Cabinet welcomed the measures to be taken by the department of Water and Sanitation to address the current state of affairs in relation to water and waste water management.
“The Minister will in the following weeks announce these measures per province. We are thinking that next week he will announce the interventions, beyond Rooiwal Water Treatment plant, that are being made to improve water quality, water management and waste water management in Gauteng.
“In the other week it will be either Limpopo or KwaZulu-Natal depending on the schedule. We are going to schedule the Minister and a supporting team to do the relevant briefings in terms of the interventions,” she said.
Minister Ntshavheni said that government is doing a provincial focus so that it can have a substantive discussion as a country.
Cholera outbreak management
Turning to the Cholera outbreak, Ntshaveni said Cabinet welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s planned visit and interaction with residents of Hammanskraal today.
Ntshavheni said the President, the Minister of Water and Sanitation and the Executive Mayor of Tshwane assessed government interventions in the area and provided relevant feedback to residents.
“Government interventions include the field hospital operational in Kanana, Hammanskraal, and a multi-disciplinary team of experts to arrest the spread which has successfully treated hundreds of people.
“Work is also underway to ensure that local councils use their water infrastructure grants effectively. For the current financial year, over R14 billion has been set aside for municipalities to address water infrastructure backlogs,” the Minister said.
Cabinet also welcomed the cooperation between the City of Tshwane and Department of Water and Sanitation on the planned upgrade of the Rooiwal Water Treatment plant, which will be undertaken over three phases at a cost of R4 billion.
Cabinet has called on the affected communities to remain vigilant and to take special care of children.
Cholera can be prevented by using safe water. Residents are urged to treat the water first by boiling it for at least 1 minute and always wash their hands with clean water and soap. For more information on prevention tips visit www.gov.za/cholera.
Water Quality Report
Meanwhile, Cabinet has welcomed the reintroduction of the Blue, Green and No Drop Watch which were last conducted in 2013 and 2015, respectively.
The Green, Blue and No Drop Certification programmes are regulatory mechanisms of the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) as the water sector regulator in terms of both the National Water Act and Water Services Act, DWS.
“The aim of this uniquely South African regulatory tool is to improve municipal drinking water quality, wastewater management as well as water conservation and demand management.
“Cabinet deliberated on the results and implications of the 2023, Blue, Green and No Drop Watch reports, which were made public on Tuesday, 6 June.
“The Watch Reports indicate that there has been a decline in drinking water quality and an increase in non-revenue water since the last Drop reports were issued,” Ntshavheni said. –SAnews.gov.za
