President Jacob Zuma says the National Infrastructure Development programme continues to be a key job driver and catalyst for economic growth.

“Water is a critical resource for economic growth and a better life. Several projects aimed at providing water for industrial and household use are in the implementation or planning phases around the country,” he said during the State of the Nation Address on Thursday.

He said major projects include Umzimvubu Water project in the Eastern Cape, Jozini Dam in Umkhanyakude in KwaZulu-Natal and projects in Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga and phase one of the Mokolo Crocodile Water Augmentation in Limpopo.

Government to improve water supply

“Progress is being made to improve the water supply to areas that had been affected by shortages, such as  Makana District Municipality in the Eastern Cape, Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality in North West and Giyani in Limpopo where we celebrated the delivery of water to 55 villages in October last year,” President Zuma said.

He urged all South Africans to conserve water. “Every drop counts. The country loses seven billion rand a year to water losses.”

To mitigate this challenge, government through the Department of Water and Sanitation will train 15 000 artisans or plumbers who will fix leaking taps in their local communities.

Click here to view part 2