Speech by MR MW SIBUYANA - MP

The stated aim of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry is to ensure the availability and supply of water at national level to facilitate equitable and sustainable social economic development; to ensure the universal and efficient supply of water services at local level; and to promote the sustainable management of forests.

The four programmes of the Department are:
Administration
Water Resource Management
Water Services
Forestry

The overall allocation to the Department has increased from R4 billion in the 2005/06 adjusted appropriation to R4,5 billion in 2006/07. This is mainly due to the Water Resource Management Programme which received a 33.5% nominal increase to its allocation which now stands at almost R2,2 billion.

The allocation to Programme 4, Forestry, decreased by 4,1%. The Department is pursuing a reform programme in the forestry sector which will see the Government leasing all State-owned forest land to private sector operators.
Of the 140 00 hectares managed by the department in 1994, more than 100 000 have been transferred. We hope that the question of the Ingonyama Trust will be resolved amicably.

Madame Speaker, without water there is no life. Access to clean water and all the benefits that come with is a right that each and every South African should enjoy. The impact that clean, tapped water and sanitation have on the lives of people is immense. Poverty alleviation, food security and low economic growth are some of the problems that are associated with developing countries. The people that are most affected by these problems are the rural poor. Sanitation as well as access to clean water can play a major role in alleviating these problems and creating a better life for all.

Many people in rural areas rely on subsistence farming. Failure to acquire water for the irrigation of their crops poses a major challenge and also creates an unnecessary risk that can contribute to a poor harvest and even crop failure. We therefore believe that development projects in these areas are of major importance. Not only will they ultimately lead to the social upliftment of the many rural communities, they will also provide much needed employment as many projects are labour intensive. This will therefore give an economic boost to these areas.

When engaging in development projects within these rural areas, the active involvement of the Amakhosi and their councillors is of paramount importance.  The deployed municipal councillors must work together with their traditional counterparts to ensure these projects reach their true potential and contribute to the improvement of the quality of life for these people.

It is easy for us to take essential services like tapped water and toilets that flush for granted. The opening of a tap or the flushing of a toilet have become routine exercises that we don't even notice anymore, and yet for the many people in rural areas these are luxuries that they still do not have. While the work and progress that the Department has made in this regard is commendable, there is still much that has to be done. Many people are still without proper sanitation which makes them more susceptible to various diseases and health problems.

No stone must be left unturned in stopping pollution and the occurrence of aquatic parasites such as the 'rat-tailed maggots' that were recently found in the drinking water in some areas. The 'bucket system' must be eradicated from all households and all South Africans must have access to clean water that is of a high quality. It was therefore very encouraging that in his State of the Nation address, earlier this year, President Mbeki stated that government had decided to completely eradicate, in the established settlements, the 'bucket toilets' by the end of 2007.

It is clear that the direct and indirect impact that this Department has in improving the lives of many people and freeing them from the poverty trap that they are currently stuck in is great. We, in the IFP, therefore believe that the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, by providing basic water services and improving the sanitation to the majority of South Africans, can lift the standard of these people's lives and play an leading role in the alleviation of poverty and the fight for food security.

The IFP realises that the budget is reasonably good and that the areas highlighted by President Mbeki in his State of the Nation address, as well as the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry's strategic plans and targets are realistic and attainable.

We, in the IFP, anticipate that unlike in the past, service delivery will be the key issue, and that there will never, never, ever again be any need for the President of the country to move from the highest to the lowest sphere of government in order to dish out instruction and threats to both lazy and corrupt officials.

We support Budget Vote 34.

I thank you

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
Mr MW Sibuyana: 083 662 5381
Noleen Hendricks: 082 886 9848