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Africa|Efficiency|Environment|Financial|Innovation|Projects|Sanitation|Service|Services|Sustainable|Systems|Water|Maintenance|Infrastructure|Operations
africa|efficiency|environment|financial|innovation|projects|sanitation|service|services|sustainable|systems|water|maintenance|infrastructure|operations

DWS being restructured to improve water management

23rd July 2020

By: Schalk Burger

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

     

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Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu on July 23 outlined work done over the past year to improve the work of the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS).

The DWS is undergoing a restructuring to stabilise the department, achieve good governance and ensure it is fit for purpose.

Commenting on the department's budget, Sisulu said the DWS had committed R3-billion during the current financial year to develop 136 water and sanitation projects, and a further R2-billion to implement 62 other projects.

It is prioritising the connection of underserviced communities and is prioritising operations and maintenance, and expects municipalities to commit at least 10% of their budgets to the maintenance of infrastructure under their jurisdiction.

"We are working with the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to ensure this is ring-fenced to ensure that water services remain in an operable state, rendering reliable services and minimising water losses," she said.

Further, Sisulu said the department had, while awaiting responses from stakeholders on the national water masterplan, and the recently completed sanitation masterplan, run a parallel programme to restructure the department. This process was supported by the Department of Public Service and Administration to ensure all critical posts were identified and filled. At top management level, all incumbents must be fit for purpose as they are at the core of the department's delivery mandate.

"This process has been completed and, since the beginning of the current financial year, we are in the process of stabilising the department. The implementation of the structure and supporting policies will go a long way in improving the efficiency, management, governance and ethics of the department and the water sector as a whole."

She highlighted work done by the Water Research Commission, which offered technical advances to deal with problems. The most exciting innovation has been termed the brown revolution, which will help to save water in drought-stricken areas.

"We did not foresee the challenge of Covid-19. However, every crisis presents an opportunity to find new ways."

MUNICIPAL SUPPORT
Sisulu said the department's response to the pandemic had been exceptional, and that it had established a command centre in Rand Water, which enabled it to respond with the urgency the crisis demanded. It allowed the department to connect across all municipalities.

She added that this had allowed the interventions to reach the farthest corners of the country.

Further, the department would continue to support water services to ensure more sustainable water use, in parallel with the implementation of its tanker reduction strategy to significantly reduce the operating costs of the interim water service.

She acknowledged that the response to the crisis was not financially sustainable, nor sustainable over the long term.

"We learned a lot from our people as we rolled out the water tankers. This helped us to create an infrastructure map to deal with the water challenges in our water-scarce country.

"We now need to concentrate on the revival and maintenance of our infrastructure. Here, we work with the infrastructure team in the Presidency, and the [Development Bank of Southern Africa]. At our next budget, we will be able to report to [the Parliamentary Committee] on the infrastructure needed to ensure we are able to provide the necessary support to the municipalities."

The DWS would continue to support municipalities through the command centre. The department had also consolidated its relationship with the private sector and other stakeholders during the crisis, said Sisulu.

She said she remained concerned about the financial viability of the water boards. There was a fundamental problem around financing for local government systems that must be addressed.

"We need to ensure that our municipalities pay for the bulk water provided to them, so that the water boards can continue to operate within a sustainable environment and continue to increase water provision. Municipal debt owed to water boards now stands at R10-billion on bulk water supply services.

"If not attended to, this will result in some of the water boards ceasing to operate as a result of non-payment for services rendered. This applies to Sedibeng, Bloem [Water], Amatola and Lepelle, as well as others."

ANTI-CORRUPTION EFFORTS
She noted that the department she had inherited had not enjoyed the confidence of the people it served.

Sisulu said the department had heeded the calls to root out corruption without destabilising the department. It had established a stabilisation committee to facilitate this.

Further, Sisulu had ordered investigations into the affairs of the Lepelle Northern Water Board, in Limpopo, and Amatola Water Board, in the Eastern Cape, while a third investigation is under way at the Sedibeng Water Board.

"During the course of the investigations, the boards suspended their CEOs and have started with disciplinary processes. Their hearings are set down for August. I considered all the findings and recommendations from the investigation,and I have decided to lay civil and criminal charges against those implicated in unlawful, corrupt conduct in Amatola and Lepelle," she said.

The reports from the department's investigations have been handed over to law enforcement agencies.

Edited by Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

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