Chairperson, distinguished guests and hon members, just how important water is for life on earth is neatly summed up by Mr Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States of America, in his book Earth in the Balance in which he says that -
Human beings are made up mostly of water, in roughly the same percentage as water is to the surface of the earth. Our tissues and membranes, our brains and hearts, our sweat and tears - all reflect the same recipe for life, in which efficient use is made of those ingredients available on the surface of the earth. We are 23 percent carbon, 2.6 percent nitrogen, 1.4 percent calcium, 1.1 percent phosphorous, with tiny amounts of roughly three dozen other elements. But above all we are oxygen (61 percent) and hydrogen (10 percent) fused together in the unique molecular combination known as water, which makes up 71 percent of the human body.
I suppose much the same can be said of animals. Over and above the fact that it is the main ingredient of human, animal and plant life, water is also the main component of all liquids we drink, to grow and cultivate the food we eat, and for our sanitation requirements, especially over the past 50 years when waterborne sanitation has become a necessity not a luxury.
The importance of water for the continued existence of human, animal and plant life on earth is, therefore, indisputable, and it is, therefore, absolutely necessary that we cherish it and have strategies in place for its conservation and judicious use.
In 1994, South Africa's newly elected democratic government inherited huge service backlogs, with respect to access to water supply and sanitation, from the apartheid regime. About 15 million people were without safe water supply and over 20 million without adequate sanitation services. Under the ANC government, the country has made remarkable progress with regard to accelerating the pace of service provision, restructuring and refocusing the entire water sector.
Having ensured access to water for an additional 10 million people, South Africa is well on track to wipe out the infrastructure backlog for basic water supply by 2008, exceeding the Millennium Development Goals target.
Although substantial challenges remain in addressing historical inequalities in access to both water supply and sanitation, and in sustaining service provision over the long term, the following key features distinguish the South African water and sanitation sector from other countries: the existence of an important institutional tier between the national and local government in the form of water boards; strong linkages between water supply and sanitation and water resource management through these water boards; a strong government commitment to high service standards and to high levels of investment subsidies to achieve those standards; a policy of free basic water and sanitation; relatively stable and successful private-sector participation in water supply; and, lastly, a strong water industry with a track record in innovation.
Integrated water resource management does not provide a complete solution to all the dimensions of poverty, but no strategy for poverty eradication will be successful unless it includes strategies for managing water.
The provision of basic water and sanitation services is an essential element of the contribution of water to poverty eradication, because it addresses the issues of health and hygiene. Providing free basic services goes some way towards making water affordable to the poor. It is, therefore, essential that water-related policies are implemented in ways that give special attention to ensuring that the poor can meet their needs and that they are given a voice in decisions that affect them.
In order to maintain the advances made by the government, it is most important to ensure that programmes are formulated for water and sanitation targets to be met. The water resources management programme ensures that the country's water resources are protected, used, developed, conserved, distributed, managed and controlled in a sustainable and equitable manner for the benefit of all our people. The budget of this programme increased from R3,5 billion in the 2008-09 financial year to R3,9 billion in the 2009- 10 financial year, which is a nominal increase of 10,4%.
In the state of the nation address on 3 June 2009, our hon President, Mr Jacob Zuma, said:
South Africa, being a dry country, requires urgent action to mitigate adverse environmental changes and to ensure the provision of water to citizens. Amongst various programmes, we will implement the Water for Growth and Development strategy, which will strengthen water management. For as long as there are communities without clean water, decent shelter or proper sanitation ... We shall not rest, and we dare not falter, in our drive to eradicate poverty.
To this, I can only say, "Rest assured, my President. We shall not rest and we shall not falter. We have promised, and we shall deliver." The ANC supports the budget. I thank you. [Applause.]