Voorsitter, agb Minister en Adjunkminister, oor die afgelope dekade het die druk op die natuurlike waterhulpbron, as gevolg van primre landbou, mynbou en industrile gebruik, sodanig verhoog dat die beskikbaarheid, en die gehalte, van die waterhulpbron onder ernstige verdenking is en potensile gevare vir die omgewing, gesondheid en die mens inhou.
Dit bring ook die uitvoerstatus van landbouprodukte in gedrang. Die probleem rondom watergehalte word vererger deur swak, of geen, dienslewering op die vlak van plaaslike regering en gebrekkige sanitasiegeriewe, wat vir 'n groot deel van die bevolking ontoereikend is of glad nie bestaan of funksioneel is nie en rou riool wat gevolglik op 'n groot skaal in riviere en strome beland.
Oorhoofse gesag en beheer van die betrokke staatsdepartemente, om toe te sien dat plaaslike owerhede aan hulle mandaat uitvoering gee, ontbreek. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Dr L L BOSMAN: Chairperson, hon Minister and Deputy Minister, over the past decade the pressure on natural water resources has increased, due to primary agriculture, mining and industrial use, to such an extent that the availability and quality of water resources are in serious doubt and potentially pose a danger to the environment, health and humanity.
It also threatens the export status of agricultural products. The problems around water quality are being exacerbated by bad, or nonexistent, service delivery at local government level and inadequate sanitation facilities which, for a large portion of the population, are deficient, nonexistent or non-functional and consequently raw sewage is winding up in rivers and streams on a large scale.
There is a lack of overarching authority and control by the relevant government departments to ensure that the local authorities carry out their mandate.]
In the report of the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs to the portfolio committee, it admitted that 30% of sewage plants require immediate intervention to avoid crisis situations, such as the outbreak of waterborne diseases. It also states that, in the short term, maintenance is required by more than 66% of the plants as they are in a stressful situation at this point.
Dieselfde beginsels ontbreek ook by die staat se verantwoordelik om toe te sien dat mynbou aan die vereistes van omgewingswetgewing voldoen. Die gevolg hiervan is dat belangegroepe, soos die landbou, die koste van besoedeling moet absorbeer, in plaas daarvan, soos die Minister uitgewys het, dat die koste deur die ontwikkelaars verreken word, met ander woorde, die beginsel dat die besoedelaar betaal.
Kommer bestaan dat die regering oorhoofs in gebreke bly om omgewingsverwante kwessies holisties aan te spreek, en 'n onskynlike gebrek aan die kordinering van regeringsbeleid op interdepartementele vlak bestaan ook. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The same principles are also lacking in the state's responsibility to ensure that mining complies with the requirements of environmental legislation. The result is that interest groups, such as agriculture, have to absorb the costs of pollution instead of, as the Minister has pointed out, having the developers carrying those costs, in other words, the principle that the polluter pays.
Fears exist that the government as a whole is failing to address environmentally related matters holistically and there is also an apparent lack of co-ordination of government policy at an interdepartmental level.]
The effect of mining activities on water quality is of extreme importance at this stage. Commercial agriculture contributes in a significant way to the economy of South Africa, to job opportunities in rural areas and to food security. As such, we believe that it is important to minimise the possible negative impact of mining activities on the farming sector. One of the ways in which this can be achieved is by consulting with landowners timeously and effectively, prior to the granting of prospecting and other mining licences by the Department of Minerals and Energy.
Special consideration should be given to the possible negative impact of the proposed activities on water quality in agricultural production and food security. High-potential land, for example irrigation land, should preferably be excluded from mining and be subject to proper environmental impact assessments and approved rehabilitation plans before it is granted.
Voorsitter, die nie-verhandeling van waterregte ondermyn landbou se bydrae tot voedselproduksie, ekonomiese groei en werkskepping. Besproeiingsboere wat waterregte wil verhandel moet, in terme van die vereistes van artikel 27 van die Nasionale Waterwet, goedkeuring daarvoor van die Departement van Water- en Omgewingsake verkry. Die bepalings van die Wet vereis 'n omvattende evaluering deur die Departement van Water- en Omgewingsake oor die effektiewe aanwending van water, die bevordering van die sosiale belang en regstellende aksie.
In praktyk beweer die Departement van Water- en Omgewingsake dat aansoeke vir verhandeling wel omvattend beskou word, maar in werklikheid word daar bloot 'n siening geneem oor die swart ekonomiese bemagtingselement waaraan daar, na hul mening, in die praktyk blykbaar nie voldoen word nie. Die gevolg van die benadering deur die Departement van Water- en Omgewingsake is dat waterregte tussen boere gewoon nie verhandel nie en, gevolglik, ook nie volledig benut word nie. Indien die verhandeling van waterregte as 'n armlengte-transaksie toegelaat sou word, is dit gewoon 'n ekonomiese werklikheid dat produksie en werkskepping sal toeneem.
Ten slotte, Suid-Afrika se waterhulpbronne is 'n nasionale bate wat ten beste vir die mededingendheid en die volhoubaarheid van voedsel- en veselproduksie benut moet word. Vir di doel moet dit doeltreffend beskerm en bestuur word. Besoedelingsbeheer, veral ten opsigte van water, is 'n aangeleentheid wat 'n nasionale prioriteit moet wees. Die situasie is besig om krisisafmetings, ten opsigte van voedselveiligheid en siektebeheer aan te neem, en aspekte soos beter beheer oor informele nedersettings se afvalstorting en ontoereikende watersuiwering deur plaaslike owerhede moet dringend aandag geniet. Ek dank u. [Applous.] (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Chairperson, the non-sale of water rights undermines agriculture's contribution to food production, economic growth and job creation. Irrigation farmers who want to sell water rights have to, in accordance with the requirements of section 27 of the National Water Act, obtain approval from the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs. The provisions of the Act require a comprehensive evaluation by the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs regarding the effective use of water, the promotion of social interests and affirmative action.
In practice the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs claims that applications for the sale of water rights are considered comprehensively, but in reality only the black economic empowerment element is looked at and, in their opinion, these criteria are apparently not met in practice. The result of this approach by the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs is that water rights cannot be sold between farmers and, consequently, can also not be fully utilised. If the sale of water rights were allowed as an arm's-length transaction, it is simply an economic reality that production and job creation would increase.
In conclusion, South Africa's water resources are a national asset which should be used for the good of competitiveness and the sustainability of food and fibre production. With this goal in mind it should be protected and managed effectively. Pollution control, particularly with regard to water, is a matter which should be a national priority. The situation is reaching crisis proportions with regard to food security and disease control and aspects such as better control over the waste disposal of informal settlements and inadequate water purification by local authorities should be attended to urgently. I thank you. [Applause.]]