The Department of Water and Sanitation has sped up efforts to reconfigure its water entities’ boards amid the ongoing water supply crisis.
This was highlighted by the department when it briefed the water and sanitation portfolio committee meeting held virtually on Tuesday.
During the meeting, Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu shared the resolutions of the National Assembly on several issues.
According to Mchunu, the reconfiguration of water boards will give enough support to the under-capacitated water services authorities to meet the rapidly increasing demand for services by communities and ensure adequate capacity with quality and skilled engineers.
“This process will ensure that water boards provide water services to areas where there is no provision,” said Mchunu.
“However, this process is not an imposition, but due process is undertaken to bring on board all relevant stakeholders including water service authorities in various provinces, where these services are being extended to, to ensure that there is sustainable water supply in all parts of our country.
“The reality is that the expenditure to implement projects is too high and the demand of services is also too high, yet the delivery by government institutions is too low. We need to fix this as a matter of urgency.”
He said the reconfiguration of all water boards is an implementation of the resolutions of National Water and Sanitation Summit held early in 2022, wherein stakeholders came up with ways to improve the sector.
The department has consulted relevant stakeholders in KwaZulu-Natal to create a single water entity by merging the Mhlathuze Water and its boundary into Umgeni Water. The process is expected to be finalised by the end of February and a new board is to be appointed in April.
“The scope of Rand Water will be extended to cover the entire Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces. Lepelle Northern Water board’s boundary is also being extended to service the entire Limpopo province,” he said.
“Magalies Water’s scope expands to service the entire North West province, taking over from Sedibeng Water, which was disestablished last year. Bloem Water will service the whole Free State and the Northern Cape as part of the reconfiguration.
“In the Eastern Cape, the Amatola Water’s scope has been extended to cover the entire province and all due processes are unfolding.”
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