We Are Facing a Water and Sanitation Crisis in South Africa
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WE ARE FACING A WATER AND SANITATION CRISIS IN SOUTH AFRICA David Raymer (Pr Eng)* Author and Johannes Buckle (Pr Eng)** *Uhambiso Consult (Pty) Ltd, Tel: 041 373 0180 Fax: 041 373 0102 email: [email protected] **Cobeng South Africa is in the grip of a water and sanitation crisis. Ordinary citizens are taking municipalities to court, farmers are irrigating illegally and there is civil unrest across the country due to poor service delivery. Poor governance is the order of the day fed by political interferance, trade union demands, cronyism and bribery. As a result municipal councils are unable to make sound strategic decisions, control budgets, grasp critical financial processes and sustain water and sanitation services. The quality and availability of raw water in many catchments is deteriorating. Impromptu housing development and mismanagement of sewerage treatment works is widespread. Many municipalities and utilities ignore water conservation and demand management. Nationally, bulk water and sanitation infrastructure have not been augmented for years and waterborne diseases like cholera are spreading due to increasing pollution of water sources. The water and sanitation crisis demands immediate and decisive intervention. Political decision makers must respect the authority of experienced professionals. Water services managers must have autonomy to make decisions without political interference. Councillors must be capacitated to understand and grasp the budgets needed for the infrastructure to sustain water and sanitation services. 1. INTRODUCTION South Africa has some of the most advanced legislation in the world, a fact that has been acknowledged at various international fora. We have (some would say "had") some of the most advanced infrastructure in Africa. Our dams, water transfer schemes, treatment and distribution systems outclass many countries – both in the developing and the developed world. So, why do the authors believe that we have a water and sanitation crisis in South Africa that is becoming more evident by the day? • Ordinary citizens are taking municipal councils to court to obtain approval of the court to personally intervene and repair municipal infrastructure. (refer daily newspapers) • Acidic mine water is decanting all over dolomitic areas in Gauteng where legislation to care for the environment failed miserably. (refer daily newspapers) • Farmers along the Ash River irrigate illegally with very expensive water from the Lesotho Highlands water scheme – water being paid for by Gauteng domestic, industrial, commercial and related consumers and users – NOT by the irrigation farmers. This fact is partly to blame for the reason we now have to build infrastructure to the value of more than R30 billion to augment water supplies to Gauteng. (–Vaal River Studies DWE) • We read, on a daily basis in the newspapers of corruption in municipalities and civil unrest across the country because of poor service delivery. (9) • We read in engineering journals and financial periodicals about below-capacity, dilapidated waste water treatment works totally swamped by increasing flows and spilling sewage in built up areas and into rivers. The Kliprivierspruit in Johannesburg is a shining example. (1) (2) (3) (fix references) Why are we in this situation? This is a critical question. 2. THE NEED FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE Poor governance at all levels is one of the main causes of the water and sanitation crisis. The standard for governance should be set by the president of the country to be replicated by the cabinet, government departments, provincial governments and finally down to local government. 2.1 Good governance Good governance is an indeterminate term used in development literature to describe how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources in order to guarantee the realization of human rights. Governance describes "the process of decision- making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented)" The term governance can apply to corporate, international, national, local governance or to the interactions between other sectors of society. The concept of "good governance" often emerges as a model to compare ineffective economies or political bodies with viable economies and political bodies. Because the most "successful" governments in the contemporary world are liberal democratic states concentrated in Europe and the Americas, those countries' institutions often set the standards by which to compare other states' institutions. (4) Good governance is therefore a government's ability to: • ensure political transparency and voice for all citizens, • provide efficient and effective public services, • promote the health and well-being of its citizens, and • create a favourable climate for stable economic growth. (4) A myriad of examples of poor governance in South Africa are available to any researcher. (Could you give some that relate to water & sanitation?) Manifestations of poor governance include: • Politically based decisions that ignore sound economic and technical advice; • Pressure by the trade unions; • Cronyism and bribery. If one should do an internet search of "fraud in municipalities in South Africa", as the authors did, one is swamped by an avalanche of cases, and it appears that the rate of incidents is increasing. (Is there a definitive reference? Keywords on web = 125000 hits, SA = 20700 hits but not all of these are actual fraud cases and some report efforts to fix the problem) 2.2 Lack of Understanding and Knowledge by Municipal Councillors Before 1994 a typical municipal council consisted of lawyers, doctors, businessmen and persons who were experienced in their respective careers - people who were able to make decisions based on expertise and experience. Generally, most present councillors do not have the background or skills to make good strategic decisions and correctly determine priorities that promote sustainable service delivery. This manifests in: • Lack of knowledge of legislation and regulations. • Wrong priorities (promises for votes instead of sustainable infrastructure) • Operation and maintenance budgets being cut (to pay for other priorities or unwarranted expenditure) • Vast amounts spent on functions, overseas travel, luxury vehicles, allowances, etc. • Little or no respect for the adjudication capabilities and recommendations of seasoned engineers and technical staff. • Very little or no communication by councillors at grass roots level with their constituents after election. • Non existent or poor credit control. • Little or no grasp of the critical financial principles and processes of municipalities This lack of understanding of the functioning of a municipal system and the basics of service delivery by councillors and senior (non technical) managers has other impacts. For example tariffs are not based on economic principles in order to provide adequate income to balance expenditure. Good governance cuts across the whole water and sanitation sector and spectrum of municipal service. There cannot be a sustainable water and sanitation service if municipal treasury staff do not read water meters, bill consumers properly, collect the revenue or enforce sound Council policies. Likewise if a human resources department is dysfunctional, the service will not acquire properly trained, competent and diligent employees. 2.3 Water Resource Management Quality and quantity of raw waters in catchments are deteriorating. This is due to increased development while sewerage treatment works are not being managed properly or upgraded despite government making the funds available. Impromptu housing development and mismanagement of sewerage treatment works is widespread. Land is often stripped of natural vegetation causing erosion, (filling up the limited amount of bulk water storage that is available in a few dams after years of resource development neglect by government) and allowing alien vegetation to establish. There is an element of cover-up in government by withholding outcomes of investigations, refusing to release water quality reports, denial and the twisting of facts. Typical examples are the withholding by DWA of the Green Drop Report and the dismissal of Dr Anthony Turton by the CSIR for his paper. (5) In addition there is weak public accountability. (6) Water is getting scarcer and there is a dire need to conserve water. Most municipalities and utilities do not actively pursue water conservation and demand management measures. Awareness and education amongst consumers and youth is of utmost importance. The recent economic boom and the massive government programme to build state subsidized houses has led to a huge increase in water demand. Bulk water and sanitation infrastructure have not been augmented or rehabilitated to keep pace nor has sufficient long term planning been done. 2.4 Waterborne Diseases Periodic outbreaks of cholera occur in Kwazulu/Natal and the Eastern Cape with many deaths recorded. The following figure shows the spread of reported cholera cases over the world over the last fifty odd years. Figure 1. The spread of cholera 1950-2004 The spread of cholera is directly related to pollution of water sources – pollution not originating from nature but through irresponsible human behaviour and exacerbated by climate change. (18) 3. THIS CRISIS MUST BE RESOLVED Immediate and decisive intervention by government can resolve the water and sanitation crisis in South Africa. The consequence if the crisis is not tackled is that: water