I was sworn in on 1 July as Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation. My mission is Clean Water and Dignified Sanitation.
It’s been a steep learning curve as I work out how to reverse shock figures in the Green, Blue and No Drop Reports:
• 396 out of 848 Wastewater Treatment plants (47%) are CRITICAL, spilling sewage into our rivers.
• Almost HALF (49%) of our water supply systems have a high microbiological risk, posing an immediate health threat if not properly managed.
• Almost HALF (47%) of clean water sent to municipalities is stolen, not metered, or is lost in leaking pipes.
Here’s what I’ve done in July:
WAR ON WASTED WATER (WWW)
I’ve visited the worst long-running leaks in Mogale City. They rushed a repair to the THREE-YEAR LEAK at the Dan Pienaarville Reservoir that’s wasted R5 million water, but it only lasted two days. They did a better job the second time, but let’s see if it holds. They can’t even fix a leaking tap at the Krugersdorp Taxi Rank!
LAUNCHED THE CLEAR RIVERS CAMPAIGN
I launched the Mandela Month Clear Rivers Campaign at the Apies River in Pretoria. It’s a toxic river, poisoned by effluent from industries and broken Wastewater Treatment plants. Volunteer clean-up campaigns are great, but we need to stop the root causes of our dirty rivers.
It’s a similar story at the Klip River in Soweto, which I visited after a school principal complained about it. THREE CRIMINAL CHARGES have been laid against Johannesburg Council for sewage discharges from broken treatment plants. We need a multi-pronged approach to transform this river into an ECOLOGICAL PARK that will enhance the area and create jobs through tourism.
I also checked out treatment options for the Jukskei river, which pollutes many areas, including Hartbeestpoort Dam.
CHEMICAL TOILETS MAFIA
I drew attention to the enormous amounts that municipalities are spending on unpopular chemical toilets that are smelly and badly serviced. In Ekurhuleni, two auditors have been murdered after they probed these fishy contracts. They spent R650 million last year for 42000 chemical toilets in informal settlements – that’s R14500 A TOILET! It’s an outrageous scam which reminds me of the looting at Tembisa Hospital.
The Chemical Toilets Mafia is as bad as the Water Tankers Mafia – I will be challenging municipalities to cancel these contracts and get better sanitation for less cost.
SEWAGE DISASTERS
There are sewage disasters everywhere, but I’m pushing on the worst ones that people call me about. I saw what residents in Riverlea, Johannesburg, call SHITTY STREET – people can’t drive out their homes because of the sewage. In Bez Valley, hundreds of residents suffer from sewage in their homes as Joburg Water hasn’t paid contractors to connect them to the sewage pipes!
LEARNING FROM THE BEST
I met top professionals at the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA) conference in Cape Town. Their message: we have solutions, the problem is IMPLEMENTATION.
Other visits included a pilot project in a Khayelitsha informal settlement with full-flush toilets in containers powered by solar energy, and the Potsdam Wastewater Treatment Works in Milnerton – the R5.2 billion upgrade is within budget, no corruption, and no delays!
Cape Town has the lowest waterpipe losses (16% vs 33% country-wide) and has shown the best way to prevent Day Zero by water conservation and demand management.
OTHER PROVINCES
I am prioritising the issues and will be visiting other provinces soon. There is so much to be done to ensure clean water and decent sanitation for everyone
