(1)Noting that the Ndlambe Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape is suffering from a debilitating drought and that several communities are totally without water for days at a time, what action is her department taking to assist the municipality to resolve its bulk water supply issues;
(2) what actions are being taken by the Amathole Water Board to provide alternative sources of water supply to the communities of (a) Bathurst, (b) Alexandria and (c) Port Alfred;
(3) whether there has been any investigation into sourcing water from the Fish River; if not, why not; if so, what is the status of such investigation;
(4) whether she has found that these alternative sources would be a viable option to provide water to the municipality; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what would be the (a) cost and (b) timelines for such a project