News24
17 Jul 2019, 17:43 GMT+10
South Africa's water department will propose a bill to eliminate "glaring inequalities" in the industry and draft new conservation regulations.
While the National Water Act sought to transform the sector, "95% of the licensed water volume is still in the hands of white commercial farmers, leaving 5% currently allocated to emerging black farmers," Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu told lawmakers in Cape Town Tuesday. "As we talk about transformation of land ownership, we should understand that land ownership with no access to water will take us nowhere."
The country's mines aren't complying with their water-license conditions, while non-payment for services "is a perennial problem," Vandalism and theft is also on the rise, Sisulu said.
In addition, the estimated capital investment requirement is R90bn a year over the next 10 years, compared with an annual investment of R55bn on water infrastructure and sanitation, Sisulu said.
To tackle the problems, the department will review its tendering processes, revive a construction unit that will work with the private sector and establish maintenance task teams "especially in the water treatment and recycling stock".
All investigations into alleged irregularities and corruption will be stepped up and the department will appoint a partner approved by National Treasury to deal with all outstanding reviews, Sisulu said.
Get a daily dose of Professional Autos news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Professional Autos.
More InformationFRANKLIN, Tennessee: Hundreds of thousands of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles are being recalled across the United States due to a potential...
REDMOND, Washington: Microsoft is the latest tech giant to announce significant job cuts, as the financial strain of building next-generation...
LONDON UK - U.S. stock markets were closed on Friday for Independence Day. Global Forex Markets Wrap Up Friday with Greeback Comeback...
SANTA CLARA, California: Nvidia came within a whisker of making financial history on July 3, briefly surpassing Apple's all-time market...
SACRAMENTO, California: California's multibillion-dollar farms are facing a growing crisis—not from drought or pests, but from a sudden...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump says the United States could soon reach a trade deal with India. He believes this deal would...
Kabul could become the worlds first capital to run out of water completely, experts say, blaming the crisis on rapid population growth,...
New Delhi [India], July 5 (ANI): Young Indian was created to revive Associated Journal Limited (AJL) and not to earn rent, Congress...
Sheopur (Madhya Pradesh) [India], July 5 (ANI): Heavy rainfall in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district on Saturday led to severe waterlogging,...
Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], July 5 (ANI): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Saturday inaugurated a three-day foundational...
New Delhi [India], July 5 (ANI): The work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed bullet train project is going on in full swing in Maharashtra,...
* China's first LEGOLAND resort opened on Saturday in Shanghai. * Spanning 318,000 square meters, LEGOLAND Shanghai Resort is the...