Deputy President Paul Mashatile has stressed the significance of strategic engagement and collaboration in light of the water shortages affecting many municipalities, including those in Gauteng.
The Deputy President was addressing the leadership of Rand Water in his role as the Chairperson of the Water Task Team.
President Cyril Ramaphosa established a Water Task Team under the leadership of the Deputy President to address water challenges in various areas in the country.
Rand Water, according to the Presidency, is the largest bulk water utility in Africa and one of the largest in the world, providing bulk potable water to more than 11 million people in Gauteng, parts of Mpumalanga, Free State and the North West.
“In our efforts to avert a water crisis in Gauteng province and other municipalities around the nation, we must have strategic engagements and collaboration with the Rand Water leadership to urgently find solutions to this pressing issue,” said the Deputy President on Wednesday.
During the engagement, the country’s second-in-command also received an update on Rand Water’s efforts aimed at ensuring the efficient provision of water to Gauteng residents.
With a global reputation for providing high-quality water, its customer base includes metropolitan municipalities, local municipalities, mines and large industries in the province and surrounding areas.
The Deputy President commended efforts by Rand Water to ensure that millions of people have access to water constantly, as this has a significant impact on the wellbeing of the society as it relates to socio-economic factors such as health, food security and general welfare.
As part of his engagement, the Deputy President also visited the Rand Water Zuikerbosch Plant in Vereeniging.
The water purification plant at Zuikerbosch Station 5A was built to ensure a sustainable water supply and meet the current and future water demands.
The water purification plant, according to his Office, is part of the water utility’s capital expenditure projects and seeks to bring more capacity to the water utility system to ensure water security.
“I am eager to collaborate closely with the Rand Water leadership to identify a preventative measure against the impending water scarcity crisis.
“It is widely recognised that water is essential for sustaining life, and ensuring access to an adequate amount of water is a basic duty outlined in the Constitution, which states that ‘Everyone has the right to have access to sufficient food and water’,” said the Deputy President.
The Deputy President was supported by Police Minister Bheki Cele, Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister David Mahlobo and Cooperative Governance Deputy Minister Parks Tau. – SAnews.gov.za
