Madame Speaker, 

The current energy crisis, and the events which led to the occurrence of this dire situation, should serve as a warning to government and its various entities, about the importance of proper planning and forecasting.

We must learn from the mistakes that led to the energy crisis and make sure that they are not repeated. It is with this in mind that I urge government and the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry to heed the warnings of the World Wide Fund for Nature - South Africa (WWF-SA) which has warned of a looming water crisis for South Africa.  

They mentioned many areas of concern including the need for the proper protection of water catchments as well as the fact that 98 percent of available water resources are already fully utilised and that the country could run out of water by 2025. 

There have been a few incidents of concern recently such as the radioactive pollutants in the Wonderfontein Spruit west of Johannesburg and the sewage leak into the Umhlatuzana River which killed many fish in the Durban Harbour. While it is important not to panic unnecessarily, we must ensure that our water supply, and water quality, is sufficient to meet the demands of our growing population and economy if we are to avert a national crisis which I believe would be even greater than the current energy crisis. It is also important that there are enough skilled individuals within the relevant structures to maintain the efficient supply of water.  

I thank you.