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Thank you for this most welcome opportunity. I enjoy meeting the media, even if I enjoy the odd scuffle with them. Last time, I think I spoke for too long, and I hear criticism that I speak "above the heads" of people because of my academic background. So I shall attempt to speak more briefly; even in special English - though I should prefer not to think in special English! I have also been criticised for being too much a man for all seasons, too involved in too many things. So, rather than assuming the position of the mighty spreading oak or the disintegrating tumbleweed, I shall play the sprightly spruce, the lone yew, the aloe or the impecunious pine. Water and forestry are my subjects and those are what I shall speak about.

Water is, without any doubt, central to the national effort of reconstruction and development. Without it, there can be not talk of reconstruction and no take of development. In previous media briefings I dwelled at length on the creation of the new Water Supply and Sanitation Branch of the Department and its achievements. Today I want to note that the steady delivery of this Departmental programme is maintained. Things are on track, and we have every reason to believe that we shall break the water backlog within the foreseeable future. Already we are noticing comments from independent sources, such as the SA Advertising Research Foundation (quoted in Business Times this past Sunday) confirming that the people are reporting that they are steadily getting the water they desperately need. There is, however, a great deal that we have been doing over the widest possible front, and I intend to say something about these activities today.

One such effort is the imaginative and sustained water conservation programme which is now well under way. The invasive aliens eradication project, which is part of this broader effort, promises more water, more jobs, more empowerment of women, and more indigenous growth. It is of the greatest importance that we maintain the conservation effort, which can help vastly to meet the water needs of our country: and I shall use all the skills at my command to ensure continued funding in difficult times.

I have time, in my brief introduction, to deal with only a few matters. But I shall look forward to your questions on whatever subject you wish to raise.

FORESTRY

The Forestry component of the Department consists of three subdivisions, i.e. conservation forestry, community forestry and industrial forestry, which is sometimes also referred to as commercial forestry.

Conservation forestry

My Department currently still controls 148 000 hectares (h) of mainly indigenous forests of which the best known areas are in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Those of you who followed the development of the new Constitution would no doubt have noticed that conservation forestry has now, at my instigation, been included in the schedule of functions for which the Provinces have concurrent competencies.

It makes good sense to see conservation forestry in the broader context of nature conservation and in due course this activity will by and large be taken over by the Provinces, but this will happen on a case by case basis and only after I have been convinced that the management will at least remain on its current satisfactory level or, preferably, be improved.

Community forestry

The community forestry activity is progressing steadily and currently approximately 1 500 staff are active on a total area of 59 000 ha and this worthwhile programme is expanding. It brings forestry to the communities - and that does not only mean rural communities either - and teaches them in a very tangible way the great advantage of harnessing trees for firewood, shade and a source of family income in a sustainable way. Over 4 000 separately identifiable projects have already been launched.

Industrial forestry

I appreciate the favourable media attention that our efforts have been given, and statements recognising that my Department is delivering, and this prompts me to come clean with you about a possible Achilles heel in my Department - and that is an industrial forestry activity on an area of roughly 146 000 ha which is its present form is anything but commercial (as this type of activity is sometimes also referred to).

I inherited these forests from the previous "homeland" administrations under the new constitutional dispensation and apart from the general and well known managerial ailments originating from that era of our history, and what came with it, the biggest problem is that it is one hundred percent overstaffed. I appreciate what caused this to happen, as forestry in remote areas was sometimes the only source of employment in those "homelands" and, although this problem needs urgent attention, I also realise that most of the employees in this branch of my Department are public servants of long standing and my future actions over this industrial forestry activity must take this into consideration. The employees and their unions will be effectively consulted through the existing consultative structures.

I had an audit done and the picture that has emerged is very bleak. This Departmental activity does generate some income from the sale of raw and processed timber, but the current excess expenditure over income is huge, which means a heavy drain on the fiscus. As a matter of fact, the audit has confirmed what I stated on various occasions when my Department's 1996/97 budget was determined, namely that not enough provision was made to continue with this industrial forestry activity inside my Department and my Department's budget will have to increased correspondingly. At the appropriate time I will have to put this request to the Treasury Committee but I am flagging this looming cause of Departmental over-expenditure now, for general information.

A solution to the problems posed by this new industrial forestry activity forced into my Department will be found after all-round consultation and, although I have received some proposals, I cannot divulge any of them at this stage. I first have to consult with my Cabinet colleagues at the Inter Ministerial Committee on the Restructuring of State Assets and then inform Cabinet. This will happen shortly, but one thing is abundantly clear: what has gone wrong over many years of maladministration cannot be put right overnight and the improvement will only happen gradually.

BULK WATER INFRASTRUCTURE

Touching on the second activity I want to highlight the progress on the Departmental programme for bulk water infrastructure. As far as international projects are concerned, the Lesotho Highlands Water Project is on programme and water delivery into the Vaal River System will commence early in 1998. A project of this magnitude has many facets other than engineering and, for instance, the criticisms concerning the resettlement programme are continuously addressed.

As far as the Komati River Development Project is concerned its dam inside South Africa, the Driekoppies Dam, is on programme and I hope to make an announcement on certain funding issues of the Maguga Dam that is situated inside Swaziland, within a week.

On regional co-operation on water resource issues there are movement afoot inside SADC to discuss the status of water in its hierarchy and I am sure that those of you covering the SADC meetings later this week in Maseru will have something to report on, but it would be inappropriate for me to give any further details here today.

The development of bulk infrastructure water projects is being hampered by the lack of available funds. I am examining innovative ways of off-budget financing of such projects which are so necessary for the economic development of South Africa. We are developing a National Water Management Plan for the whole of South Africa, something that is crucially necessary.

RESTRUCTURING

The last subject I will deal with is the progress with the restructuring of my Department.

Currently we are busy with rationalisation within each Province to restructure our organisation to deliver the expected services as best we can. This we are seeking to do while at the same time complying with the overall Government policies of down-sizing the Public Service and operating within very restricted budgetary provisions. Obviously the same exercise is done at Head Office level.

We have to look at current functions but you will recall that simultaneously I have embarked on a complete revision of the Water Law which could have a major impact on the future structure of the Department. However, one cannot wait until the picture of the ideal Department finally emerges, and therefore we will make changes as we move forward whilst continuously striving to achieve the two main goals stated above.

Central to our activities is the implementation of the Employment Equity Policy which has been formulated by my Department for my Department and we now have committees monitoring and, more importantly, assisting our line function supervisory staff at all levels.

I must accept that my Department still has a long way to go to be representative of race and gender, particularly in the ranks of senior management, and I am frankly impatient and restless about the slow progress. But we are currently busy with a major programme of filling vacant senior and less-senior posts, which were widely advertised, and it is the firm intention of both my Ministry and my Department to ensure that the resulting appointments show due respect for the requirements of the times in which we live - but bearing in mined that many of the functions of the Department are highly technical ones and not all such skills are readily available among those previously so disgracefully excluded from relevant training and jobs in South Africa. A programme of accelerated human resources development is playing a vital role in this matter.

Thank you for giving me your time, and I look forward to questions.

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