“It is now business unusual,” Minister of Water and Sanitation Nomvula Mokonyane told Parliament at the National Council of Provinces budget vote debate.

Mokonyane said South Africa needs game changers when it comes to water ownership patterns and water use rights. She emphasised that solutions to water and sanitation service delivery challenges must include the opening of the sector to those that have been disenfranchised.

This will be done by providing skills development, economic empowerment and access to quality water and dignified sanitation. It is also crucial to educate and create awareness among communities about conservation, preservation and security of scarce water resources.

Furthermore, the game changers will have to harmonise the roles and responsibilities of institutions and all spheres of government in the best interest of the end-user both individually and collectively.

“We can achieve this only if we put communities first in what we do and demonstrate that it is now business unusual,” said Mokonyane.

 

Corrective policy

“In an attempt to deal with the above-mentioned challenges we have introduced policy, legislative and institutional reforms to give effect to the radical transformation of the water and sanitation sector to redress the imbalances of the past,” said Mokonyane.

In this regard, the department has gazetted the sanitation policy for public comment. The DWS is in the process of finalising the National Water and Sanitation Bill and will move with speed to create the Water and Sanitation Infrastructure Agency.

Mokonyane also announced that her department will prioritise the implementation of National Water Resource Strategy II in support of the National Development Plan.