The Minister of Water and Sanitation, Nomvula Mokonyane, bombarded print media late last week with an editorial piece titled “Water is life, sanitation is dignity” in a blitzkrieg public relations move to win back the hearts and minds of the public after a less than exemplary rendition of perfect public infrastructure meltdown . Here is an edited version of the document highlighting the larger issues and the how government intends to address them.

1. “This was indeed a perfect storm exacerbated by cable theft/technical glitches, but in the same vein, I believe they helped to open our eyes to new opportunities.”

2. “Our work needs to be central to all kinds of planning as it cuts across all sectors. The government’s plan for provision of services to the people is guided by the National Development Plan (NDP) as a blueprint till 2030. This is a sign of the seriousness with which broad and thorough thinking is being brought to bear in order to co-ordinate the implementation of all our work. The department and sector has seen the need to collectively plan in 10 year cycles that would dovetail with the ideals of the NDP and will include refurbishment of old and ageing infrastructure, as well as maintenance. This came out strongly as one of the outcomes of the recent Water and Sanitation Summit. Ultimately, water and sanitation infrastructure planning and development, guided by the NDP, and placed highly on the agenda of government through Strategic Infrastructure Programme (SIP) 18, will ensure seamless provision of these critical services.”

3. “We have crisscrossed the country in the past three months, engaging with provinces and municipalities to ensure better co-ordination and a seamless operation around the provision of water and sanitation. Most municipalities performed poorly in last year’s Green Drop certification programme. We need to turn this around as it is a critical factor that can lead to pollution of our streams, rivers and other water courses.”

4. “As the new Department of Water and Sanitation, we are cognisant of the challenges ahead in terms of sanitation backlogs and high expectations. We are well aware of the enormity of the task ahead.”

All show and no substance? Time will tell.