Chairperson, hon Minister, hon members and the chair of the portfolio committee, chairpersons and chief executive officers of water entities and NGOs, chiefs who are here with us today and distinguished guests, all living organisms need water to survive. It is also the bloodstream of the green economy. That is why it is important that we share and use it wisely to benefit both people and the environment. Let me take this opportunity to present the key programmes we have implemented during the past fiscal year and give you a snapshot of our plans for the current financial year.
We are working with local government to ensure access to water. Water delivery is everybody's business. As the Minister mentioned, the establishment of the rapid response teams in each province, which work in collaboration with mayors and chiefs, has yielded good results and has made a difference.
We received several requests for interventions and support from mayors and chiefs. We fixed boreholes in Mukula village in Limpopo as a short-term intervention, while constructing a reservoir to be completed by October this year.
Our intervention in KwaZulu-Natal, in partnership with the MEC for Local Government and Traditional Affairs and Mhlathuze Water Board, provided water to the hospitals and communities in uMkhanyakude District Municipality. In Mhlahlane village in the Eastern Cape we drilled three new boreholes and repaired one existing borehole, in partnership with Amathole District Municipality. We are exploring options to reticulate water so that it will be closer to the communities.
I appreciate the co-operation and commitment of the mayors of Vhembe, Amathole and uMkhanyakude. The leadership and commitment of Chief Takalani, Chief Dumalisile, Chieftainess Mgwebi, Prince Sigcawu and the chairperson of Mhlathuze Water Board, who are present here today, is highly appreciated. They are seated here. Where are you? [Interjections.] No, I can't tell the chiefs to stand up! [Applause.]
We will provide hands-on support to the 23 district municipalities identified by the Cabinet lekgotla last year.
Regarding women's empowerment and development, I want to refer to the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, who said that empowering rural women is one of the smartest investments any country can make towards its development. We believe that sustainable water resource management is achieved by the full participation of women. It is for that reason that we have the following projects.
The Adopt-a-River project addresses the concerns raised by the hon Koornhof. This project aims to protect our rivers from the pollution that threatens river health. We have created 1 008 jobs for women and trained them in basic accredited environmental management courses. This year we aim to train 90 young women, who will be twinned with our officials responsible for river health, on basic water quality testing. This initiative will encourage these women to register for advanced courses in water quality management. We will give them bursaries. They will have this story to tell: "I started as a river cleaner and now I am a scientist." [Applause.]
With regard to the Women in Water Awards, this project strengthens the active participation of rural women in water resource management. Women identify water-related challenges in their communities and conceptualise ideas for implementing solutions to those challenges. They are registered for the Women in Water Awards. The national winners receive cash prizes, which are used for further project development and implementation. The number of households that have benefited from this project is 309. Twenty women-headed households, which include child-headed households from Mbangwane village in the Mpumalanga province, were provided with rainwater harvesting tanks. Gardens were also started, specifically for the child- headed families. Malibongwe! [Praise!] [Applause.]
Regarding youth development, we are implementing the following youth development projects, which address the challenge of scarce skills, which is exacerbated by the ageing workforce, and also enable youth participation in the economy.
The War on Leaks project is aimed at reducing the amount of water that is unaccounted for because of leaks, while creating jobs and developing skills. It is aligned with the goal of reducing water loss by half by the year 2014. This project saved 6 393 kl in Mogale City in the Gauteng province. Forty young people were trained in how to fix leaks, toilets and lagging, as well as control-valve operation and maintenance. This project covered 200 households and 21 schools. The project was implemented by 29 unemployed young people recruited by Lesedi Local Municipality. The number of houses that were audited for leaks last year was 1 230, and there were six schools. The number of households that were retrofitted was 495. This year we will extend the project to the Limpopo, North West and Eastern Cape provinces, targeting 300 young people. We also have the Sebenza Nathi project, which is a partnership project with Rand Water aimed at training unemployed graduates to address the scarce skills challenge in the water sector. Through this project we trained 17 unemployed graduates as technicians, and they were placed in Lesedi, Merafong, Emfuleni, Midvaal and Randfontein municipalities.
Through our Water Affairs Learning Academy we have awarded 494 bursaries over the past five years and 82 graduate trainees have been appointed in the department.
Regarding public awareness and education, these are implemented through schools-based and community-outreach programmes. We have 2020 Vision, which continues to educate learners from Grade R to Grade 12 about integrated water resource management. This year we have added climate change and the environment, including water-related careers.
Our young people participate annually in the Stockholm Junior Water Prize competition during Stockholm World Water Week. In partnership with the Water Research Commission and the Department of Science and Technology, we are determined to do the patenting and piloting of these projects.
A total of 700 computers sponsored by MTN have been provided to schools that were the national winners of the Baswa le Meetse Award. Every year we host the Youth Water Summit, where learners present their action projects, go for excursions to Rand Water and the Roodeplaat Dam, do public speaking and debate on selected topics. They also participate in national competitions. During the Stockholm World Water Week, the African Ministers of water affairs resolved that the schools programme would be extended to all African youth. This would give them the opportunity to participate in our annual Youth Water Summit. This year the youth from Southern African Development Community, SADC, countries will present their programmes and also develop a SADC draft youth water strategy.
Through our Blue Bus road shows, with the theme, "Be water wise", we are able to zigzag across the country, reaching many communities. The bus travels all over the country, targeting municipalities that have a high rate of water leaks and educating them about water conservation through pamphlets, engagements with communities and industrial theatre. We acknowledge and thank our celebrities who have pledged to be water ambassadors. Water conservation awards are also presented to municipalities, industries, mining operations, water boards and individuals, recognising their efforts towards water conservation and demand management.
Through our rural development programme, 3 100 farmers were issued with water licences, rehabilitated and upgraded infrastructure, operation and maintenance subsidies, and rainwater tanks, as well as bulk pipeline infrastructure. As part of our water harvesting programme, 4 768 rainwater harvesting tanks were provided.
Our Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Unit, the Blue Scorpions, managed to reduce the unlawful use of water, and the dumping along rivers of agricultural and industrial waste and sewage, as well as abattoir waste, to mention a few. The physical volume of all this waste has really been reduced. A total of 86 mines were audited, 6 mining operations were stopped for operating without water licences and five criminal charges were laid.
In collaboration with the Department of Defence and Military Veterans, we are implementing military veterans' projects. These include rehabilitating canals, clearing invasive alien species, creating secondary industries and developing skills. Through these projects with military veterans 750 jobs will be created.
We are also unlocking development potential in the North West. This municipal infrastructure Sip will support Taung and the Taung Dam, Greater Mamusa, Schweizer-Reneke and Madibeng and will see the construction of 55 bulk water supply infrastructure systems. In addition, 12 wastewater bulk infrastructure ... Thank you. I just wanted to add what still remained. [Time expired.] [Applause.]