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11 September 2008

Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka has questioned why South Africa would still be impacted by water borne diseases.

"South Africa cannot be a democracy that is unable to be outraged when children die of water borne diseases," she told delegates at a conference of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) Municipal Indaba in Johannesburg on 11 September 2008.

"The fact that we still have water borne diseases in South Africa should be something we are concerned about," she said. Speaking to the DWAF Minister Ms Lindiwe Hendricks, the Deputy President said that she needed to be convinced that South Africa was tough on dealing with issues of water safety, pollution, defaulters and water theft.

"Polluters and non complying municipalities that do not adhere to the high standard of water safety that South Africa has set must pay."

The Deputy President expressed her appreciation at the fact that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were being met, both in water and sanitation by halving the population of people without these essential services, but said universal access needed to be fast tracked and was still the biggest prize.

On the state of the country's water infrastructure, Mlambo-Ngcuka said "we now have the challenge of maintaining the high standards and preserving our infrastructure, whilst reaching out to un-served communities."

She said South Africa had achieved excellent advancements in the water sector since 1994, including the development of a world class policy, legislation and the delivery of water and sanitation services to millions of previously un-served households.

"As we work harder towards addressing poverty, we need to ensure that there is proper operation and maintenance of infrastructure. I believe there is a great need for municipalities to prioritise the aspect of asset management planning and the challenge of aging infrastructure," she said.

"When our infrastructure collapses, it impacts on the poor and one further denies the benefit of growth to the poor," she said.

Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka also challenged the industry to develop technology that will assist in saving energy and water.

For more information please contact:
Denzil Taylor
Spokesperson to the Deputy President
Cell: 082 561 3772

Issued by: The Presidency
11 September 2008
Source: The Presidency (http://www.thepresidency.gov.za)