Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on WaterAffairs and Forestry on Budget Vote 34—Water Affairs and Forestry, dated 14 June 2004:

The Ad hoc Committee on Water Affairs and Forestry, having considered Budget Vote 34 - Water Affairs and Forestry, reports as follows:

1. INTRODUCTION
Public hearings on the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry’s budget were held on 31 May, 2 June, 4 June and 9th June 2004.

The Chairperson welcomed the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry (The Honourable Ms. B. P. Sonjica) to the meeting and extended his and the Committees appreciation for her attendance. The Committee expressed appreciation to all participants for their attendance and contributions. Written presentations submitted by participants forms part of the records of the Committee Section. The Committee also expressed their gratitude to the Director-General and his staff for their presence and contributions that they will make during the hearings.

The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) presented the Budget to the Joint Portfolio Committee (National Assembly and National Council of Provinces) and to all participants present. Participants gave their inputs towards the budget appropriation. A report would be submitted to the Minister to inform the Minister about recommended realignments to the budget to meet the needs of the people of South Africa. These recommendations should be able to ensure that the people of South Africa have access to clean water and sanitation.

1.1. Participants
• The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) was represented by Mr. M. Muller (DG), Ms. M. Modipa (DDG), Ms. B. Schreiner (DDG), Mr. J. Mbala (CFO) and Ms. L. Mossop.
• South African Local Government Association (SALGA) was represented by Mr. T. Mokwena (CEO), Ms. B. Pretorius (Director-Water Services), Councillor Mayathula Khoza, and Mr Khalipha.
• South African Association of Water Utilities (SAAWU) was represented by, Ms. P. Nyakane (Chairperson) and Mr. W. Modisha (Deputy Chairperson).
• Water Research Commission (WRC) was represented by, Dr. Kfir (CEO), Mr. A. Rampershad (Director of Finance and Administration), Mr. Y. Gounden PRCommunications Coordinator.
• Rand Water was represented by, Mr. S. Lushaba (CEO), Ms. Y. Tyantsi (Corporate Communications Executive), Mr. K. Naiker (General Manager – Sales and Customer Services), Ms. M. Letsoalo – General Manager Marketing and Community Service).
• Lepelle Northern Water was represented by Mr. Lehong (CEO).
• Umgeni Water was represented by Ms. G. Maloi (CEO), Ms. P. Maposhe (General Manager, Corporate Services), Ms. N. Gevers (General Manager, Finance), Ms. P. Jonas (General Manager, Operations).
• South African Water Caucus (SAWC) was represented by Vukile Manzana (Colesburg), who gave a brief overview of SAWC and a synopsis of the stakeholders that would be representing to the Committee.
• Stakeholder Empowerment & Public Participation was represented by Liane Greef (EMG).
• Water Resources was represented by Paulos Gwala (Inanda Dam), Vukile Manzana (Gariep and Van der Kloof Dams), Patrick Dowling (Wildlife and Environment Society), Simphiwe Innocent Nojiyeza (Earthlife eThekweni) and Albert Peter Small (Small Farmers, Springbok).
• Water Services was represented by Thandi Radebe (SANCO, Durban), Senza/Isaac (Khayelitsha Organisations), Abednego Matu (Rhedi, Alexandra), Bricks Mokolo (Orange Farms), and Philip Davids (Mvula Trust).
• Free State Provincial Department of Education was represented by
• GeaSphere was represented by Mr. Phillip Owen.
• Forestry South Africa was represented by Mr Mike Edwards (CEO).
• Eastern Cape Provincial Department of Education, was represented by Mr. Zama Tom (Chief Director Planning and Monitoring), Mr. Eldrid Frey (Director, Fiscal Resources and Planning).
• KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Department of Education, was represented by Mr. Mike Lotter (Chief Director, Education).
• Western Cape Provincial Department of Education, was represented by Mr. Kaschula (Director, Fiscal Resources Planning).
• Northern Cape Provincial Department of Education, was represented by Mr. Andre Joemat (Chief Director, Education) and Mr. Cuan Reid (Policy and Planning).

2. POLITICAL OVERVIEW OF BUDGET
The Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry thanked the Chairperson of the Water Affairs and Forestry Ad hoc Committee and its Members, Public Works Select Committee, Officials of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, relevant stakeholders and members of the press. The Minister expressed her appreciation for the invitation to the meeting.

The Minister informed those present that the focus of the Ad hoc Committee should be on the delivery of water and sanitation as a key contribution to the social and economic upliftment of the country. This should be guided by the Millenium Goals as expressed by the President in his Speech of the Nation Address. The President had set out explicit targets for the different sectors in his speech. By the year 2015 all backlogs in water and sanitation should be halved to the current status. By December 2004, water will be provided to all households.

The Minister praised the Water Resources Policy of South Africa as one of the best policies in the world. The challenge would be to implement the policy so that the
imbalances of the past can be addressed. The Minister also pointed out the importance of Water User Associations that are stakeholders as are miners and farmers. The Water User Associations, need to be supported through water user campaigns and the creation of public awareness programmes.

The Minister also indicated that the quantity of water in South Africa ranges around 56 billion cubic meters and is hardly enough to ensure that households have enough water. It is therefore very important that consumers make very good use of water and that citizens inherit a culture of water preservation. DWAF therefore intend working closely with the Department’s of Health and Education to ensure that clinics and schools have access to clean water and sanitation. Municipalities (Local Government) have a mandate to ensure the release of monies from DWAF to enable them to produce water. These municipalities must improve their capacity to deliver.

The Minister noted that very soon citizens will have a toll free line whereby they can
express their concerns about the need for water and sanitation. Since 1994, the South African Government inherited a huge backlog in the provision of clean and healthy sanitation. There was no policy for the delivery of sanitation, and this task was shared amongst five different departments. This process had a negative impact, but the DWAF needs to be commended for the following:

• Developing a policy and strategic framework on water and sanitation.
• Establishing a national sanitation task team.
• Successful sanitation based programmes for delivery.

However, the Minister pointed out that there is still a huge backlog, and DWAF has made the delivery of water and sanitation a priority for the next ten years. Both Departments must be held accountable in rolling out the process of the delivery of water and sanitation. Because of unhealthy water, cholera has claimed the lives of many. Hygiene has therefore become important, and campaigns about hygiene should become a priority and a national practice. DWAF needs to ensure that they develop policies that ensure the monitoring of service delivery by Local Government. DWAF and Local Government must work together to ensure that they become involved in the process of delivery. Because of unhealthy water, cholera has claimed the lives of many. Hygiene has therefore become important, and campaigns about hygiene should become a priority and a national practice. The
budget system needs to top the agenda, because the budget allocation to Local Government presents a challenge to Local Government to ensure that clean water and sanitation is made accessible to the people.

Forestry has undergone significant policy developments. Black Economic Empowerment Companies (BEE) have been established. However there are challenges. BEE companies must be developed to become self-sustaining in the industry. Discussions need to be administered between DWAF and the Department of Public Enterprises so that certain issues pertaining to BEE can be clarified.

On the transfers of forests to commercial companies the Minister indicated that when the transfers took place commercial companies promised to plough back resources into the community. DWAF therefore needs to ensure that they do so.

On the process of transformation, the Minister indicated that progress has been made especially in the demographics of DWAF. However, a great deal still needs to be done. DWAF needs leaner machinery for the monitoring of policy to ensure that policy is implemented. A restructuring of the (+/-) 1800 personnel will occur because of the changing role of the Department. The future role of the Department will be to implement and monitor policy. Personnel will be lost, but they will also be transferred to Local Government.

The Minister pointed out that BEE policies would ensure that the Second Economy is improved, and this would ensure development. Water and dams would ensure economic growth. For example, the Oliphants River and the Berg River (Western Cape) will deliver water for social and economic benefits.

The Minster informed DWAF that they should therefore ensure that there is delivery of water for food security and make sure that the delivery of water has an impact to lessen poverty.

The Minister also indicated that the DWAF needs to improve on its financial management. Work still needs to be done to improve the accounting systems of the Department. Skills needed to be created and the DWAF is recruiting interns for this purpose.

The Chairperson thanked the Minister for the contribution that the Department is making towards ensuring that people gain access to water and sanitation. The Chairperson also expressed appreciation from the Committee that the Department is working together with other Departments such as Health, Education, Public Enterprises etc. to ensure the goals of DWAF are attained.

2.1. Issues for Consideration raised by the Committee
(a) The lack of parent participation: Parents are not participating to ensure that schools gain access to water and sanitation. Schools are seen as a last option in the process of attaining water and sanitation and not as the first option.

(b) Co-operative governance: The process of co-operative governance between the different Departments should be enhanced to ensure that schools and clinics have access to water and sanitation.

(c) Restructuring: The restructuring process of the DWAF is a concern, taking into account that approximately 18 000 staff members now work in uncertainty of their future, although it is envisaged that staff will be deployed to Local Government Authorities. The restructuring process will take ten years to complete, a long time to talk about restructuring staff. The Committee expressed hope that staff are skilled enough to be absorbed by Local Government, and if staff are not skilled enough, DWAF has not done enough to empower its staff.

(d) Transformation: Transformation is still an issue in the Department.
(e) Recruitment of Interns: The Committee was concerned as to whether the recruitment of children with an honours degree to the Department have clear processes for internship and are people aware that these internship processes are taking place.
(f) Toll free line: is the envisaged toll free line in place and working and does number exist for people to use.
(g) Vacancies: The Department is inviting people to apply for vacant posts, yet 18 000 jobs are on the line. Is this not contradictory?
(h) Restructuring and Transformation: How many people are affected by VSP and at what age are people given VSP’s. What are the costs of the VSP’s that are given to people.
(i) Minister’s Response: The Minister informed the Committee that the Director General would be able to give clarity on most of the concerns of the Committee. However, the vacant posts that are being advertised by the Department and the 18 000 personnel that will be deployed might sound contradictory but is not necessarily so. People will be transferred to Local Government. South Africa is losing many skilled labour to foreign countries, and therefore these skilled people will be transferred to Local Government.
Over the ten year period many staff will retire. It therefore also becomes important for the Department to develop the skills of the staff and address the question of demographics, as many of those that will retire are from the minority group.

3. OVERVIEW OF THE BUDGET
DWAF is responsible for three main functional areas, namely water resource management, water services and forestry. In managing the three functional areas, the aim of the Department is to ensure the availability of water on a national level, to ensure the equitable and efficient provision of water services at local level and to promote sustainable forestry and management thereof.

The budget structure of the Department is divided into four programmes on the exchequer account and two trading accounts, namely the Water and Equipment Trading Account.

(a) Expenditure for 2004/05 on the Exchequer Account amounts to R3 302 million (49% of total expenditure) and expenditure on the Trading Account amounts to R3 418 million. Total DWAF expenditure therefore amounts to R5 342 million.

(b) The total Exchequer Allocation of R3 302 million was expended in terms of the four programmes. Administration received R253 million (8%), Water Resource Management R1 366 million (41%), Water Services R861 million (40%) and Forestry R350 million (11%).

(c) Of the total budget of R3 302 million the biggest expenditure is on Water Resource Management which accounts for 41%, followed by Water Services 40%, Forestry 11% and Administration 8%. This trend shows DWAF’s commitment to provide the people with clean water and sanitation. The decrease in expenditure for Forestry is because of the restructuring process whereby the Department is shifting away from the managing of Commercial, indigenous and
community forests and focussing on developing and implementing policies, monitoring and evaluating programmes and providing technical support. The Department’s role will therefore be as a national forestry institution, providing the national policy and regulatory framework within which other institutions will manage forests resources sustainably.

(d) The expenditure trend for the period 2000/01 to 2006/07, is that there is significant growth on the Water Trading Account. Expenditure on the Water Resources Management increases steadily over the MTEF, with fluctuations and downward trends in Water Services, while Forestry and Administration remains steady.

(e) The Exchequer Account per Economic Classification for the 2004/05 financial year is as follows:

STANDARD ITEMS/ECONOMIC CLASSIFICATION 2004/05 FINANCIAL YEAR
R’000
Current Payments : 1, 345, 106
Compensation of Employees : 606, 705
Goods and Services : 736, 896
Interest and Rent on Land : 1, 505
Financial Transaction in Assets & Liabilities : ----
Unauthorised Expenditure : ----

Transfers & Subsidies to : 1,571,760
Province & Municipalities : 1, 020, 979
Departmental Agencies & Accounts : 550, 781
Universities & Technikons : ---
Foreign Govt. & International Organisations : ---
Public Corporations & Private Enterprise : ---
Non-Profit Institutions : ---
Households : ---

Payments for Capital Assets : 385, 278
Buildings & Other Fixed Structures : 320, 316
Machinery & Equipment : 52, 270
Cultivated Assets : ---
Software & Other Intangible Assets : 11, 401
Land & Subsoil Assets : 1, 291

Total Budget Allocation : 3, 302, 144

(f) The Trading Account is different to the Exchequer Account. The Trading Account consists of four Trading Entities (Accounts). Trading Accounts are intended to generate revenue. The revenue that is generated is handled by the Department and not by Treasury. Insufficient revenue generation requires augmentation from the exchequer allocations. The generated revenue and the augmentation therefore makes up the total Trading budget.

(g) Total expenditure for the trading account represents R3 418 million, of which R1 716 million (50%) are allocated to the Integrated Systems Programme , R858 million (25%) are allocated to the Water Services Programme, R340 million (10%) are allocated to the Working for Water Programme and R330 million are allocated to the Bulk Water Supply Programme.

(h) Revenue collection is estimated to be R2 148 million, while augmentation from the Trading Budget accounts for R R1 300 million.

3.1. Main Functions of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
3.1.1. Programme 1: Administration
Expenditure increases at an annual average rate of 7,0%. The increase reflects the need to pay for the management of the transfer of water service operations to Local Authorities and to restructuring costs that the Department will bear in shifting its focus from operations to policy development. Expenditure is forecast to decrease in 2004/05 before increasing steadily again over the MTEF period.

3.1.2. Programme 2: Water Resource Management
Expenditure is expected to increase at an annual average rate of 14,1% as a result of the establishment of water resource institutions such as catchment management agencies and water user associations.

The Operations of Water sub-programme increased by an annual average rate of 29,7% between 2000/01 and 2003/04 and is projected to increase by 10,4% annually. These increases are to finance the operations and maintenance of infrastructure, together with increased funding for the Working for Water and Working on Fire Programmes. Strategic Alignment increases at an average annual rate of 15,6% as a result of upgrading the hydrological, geo-hydrological and water quality monitoring systems, and also to improve information management.

Expenditure on capital assets increases at an annual average rate of 8,9%, to ensure that water resource infrastructure meets water services demand to address the backlog in providing universal access to water. The "Equitable supply" increases at an annual average rate of 9%.

3.1.3. Programme 3: Water Services
Expenditure increased at an annual average rate of 13,4% in 2000/01 to 2003/04. However, expenditure is expected to decrease by 2006/07. Several important movements in funds underlie these changes. There was a significant increase of 32,1% in 2002/03 to help reduce the backlogs in the provision of water and sanitation services and to support the process of transferring water services to Local Authorities. This increase is reflected in the increased allocations to the Operations of Water Services, Water and Sanitation Services and Transfers subprogrammes.

Total expenditure is expected to decrease 2003/04 to 2006/07 as the funding of water services infrastructure is moved from the Department’s vote and channelled through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG). This will happen in accordance with the 2004 Division of Revenue Act.

Expenditure on capital assets decreases at an annual average rate of 84,8% and decreases even further in 2006/07 due to the transfer of funds to the MIG. Transfers to provinces and municipalities fluctuate over the seven-year period and declines in 2000/01 to 2006/07, at an annual average decrease of 6,8%.

3.1.4. Programme 4: Forestry
Expenditure increased from 2000/01 to 2003/04 at an annual average rate of 7,7%. Expenditure over the next three years is forecast to decrease and then increase
steadily between 2004/05 and 2006/07. These fluctuations are a result of allocations to restructuring packages for forests transferred to the South African Forestry Company Limited (Safcol) in 2001/02, and increased funding to salvage fire-damaged timber and to cover the operating costs of the Mpumalanga forests in 2003/04.

The Industrial Plantation Trading Account ceased to operate in 2002/03, and the costs of managing state-owned forestry enterprises were transferred to the National Revenue Fund. The revenue recovered from forestry operations was reassigned to the Department for 2003/04 in order to reduce operating costs. This impacted on the classification of payments, but not on the overall Departmental expenditure.

3.2. Questions and Issues of Concern Raised to the Department
(a) Under the Water Resource Management programme, the Department needs to differentiate between Water Resource Administration and Water Resource Support.

(b) The Hartebeestpoort Dam is highly polluted. Water from the Dam is being utilised in the town. Is it feasible to purify the water under the Programme for Water Resource Management?

(c) There was a general feeling by the Committee that dams in the country are highly polluted and that people’s health are affected by this. The Department was informed that the Committee in 1993 went on a study tour of provinces and saw the appalling conditions of dams. A terrible smell came from these dams. When questioning the Municipalities about the conditions of dams, an agreement was reached that Municipalities will do something about the conditions of these dams.
Up to now nothing has been done. There was a general feeling from the Committee that dams need to be upgraded and cleaned for the sake of the health of the people.

(d) The Committee asked whether the Department sends out teams to investigate the conditions of the dams in the country, how often, and do the teams bring back reports after the investigations.

(e) Under Water Resource Management, Trading Account, R 51, 518 billion is allocated to the Free State. What is the purpose of this allocation?

(f) In addition, under the trading account, the Committee requested clarity on regional splits.

(g) Local government capacity-building is to be incorporated into the Municipal Systems Improvement Programme in 2005/06. Is the money that is allocated to municipalities in the budget supposed to cover all activities of municipalities (e.g. skills training, backlog of reticulation etc.). At the moment, reticulation is becoming a major problem. Free basic water is only being enjoyed by those who have the infrastructure. Is the money allocated to municipalities going to assist the fast track of providing basic water? If money is not included what is being considered?

(h) Is it not the sole responsibility of the Department to ensure that people have access to free basic water and also keeping water clean? The Committee notes that expenses are a major problem, however, can these properties that belong to private owners that are not cleaning their dams not be closed?

(i) Forestry: Some commercial companies promised that they would impart their commercial skills amongst the communities. Is the Department doing anything to ensure that this is done?

3.3. Departmental Response to the Concerns
(a) The Water Resource Administration functions are head office functions while Water Resource Support functions are functions performed by regional offices.

(b) Dams are polluted through runoffs from dense townships. The cost to purify the water is very high. There are approximately 10 000 dams in the country of which 250 belongs to the Department. Municipalities have spent time and had high costs to clean dams. It is time that these costs should be funded by the water users concerned. It is only fair that people who use the dams should pay the costs to clean the dams. Private dams are the responsibilities of the owners and private dams should be cleaned by the owners.

(c) The Department could not give a clear answer on the R51 million allocated to the Free State Province under the Programme Water Resource Management, but added that the monies could be for programmes such as the Working for Water Programme or for Working for Wetlands Programme.

(d) The Department informed the Committee that in terms of Water Services the budget is not divided according to nodes, but according to allocation. Previously, the budget was divided according to nodes but this has changed. However, the Department does attempt to ensure that provincial nodes are supported.

(e) The Budget for the Municipalities is the budget for the current year. This budget does not include monies to address the infrastructure backlog. The monies to address backlogs in infrastructure will be processed through the MIG. The Department will monitor that these monies are spent accordingly.

(f) The Department informed the Committee that if a dam is blocked, it does not affect the quality of drinking water. If it does the Department will take steps to ensure that steps are taken to correct this. The Department will advise all owners of dams where dams need to be cleaned. The municipality and private owners should take this responsibility.

(g) The Department also informed the Committee that monitoring and assistance from the Department is gradually changing, where the Department will focus on water on a country perspective and should therefore have an upper hand on eradicating problems with water.

4. SOUTH AFRICAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION (SALGA)
SALGA applauds President Mbeki’s instructions for all households having access to clean running water by 2009, more than 300 000 households provided with basic sanitation during 2004/05, all schools having access to clean water and sanitation by end 2004/05, the review, within six months, of local government’s equitable share allocation and formula and local government resources and assistance to local government in assuring that Ward Committees function properly.

SALGA’s objective is to assist municipalities in delivering services in an equitable, affordable and sustainable manner. SALGA recognises that not all people are benefiting from government policies as a result of local government ‘s delivery track record. SALGA welcomes the focus placed on the functioning and resources of local government and recognises that many municipalities need to improve the efficiency of their water and sanitation services.

SALGA’s key challenges are free basic water and sanitation delivery, sustainable transfer of DWAF assets, eradication of the sanitation backlog, impact of sectoral institutional restructuring on local government and the Capital Programme implementation. SALGA supports DWAF’s budget which reflects the changing function of DWAF from implementing water and sanitation services delivery to sector leader, supporter and regulator.

4.1. SALGA’s Comments on the Budget
4.1.1. Sanitation
SALGA has identified the delivery of basic sanitation as one of its key priorities. SALGA is in agreement that the White Paper on Basic Household Sanitation (2001) should be amended to align it with the new Water Services Strategic Framework. Revisiting the approach to the policy and looking at the subsidy levels of the policy are necessary. The lack of an implementation strategy for sanitation remains a concern. SALGA raises the need for assistance to local government in developing financial models for the delivery of basic sanitation.

SALGA is therefore raising three key issues:
• The conditions of sanitation in peri-urban areas.
• The future of VIP’s and school sanitation.
• SALGA seeks clarity on the 2004/05 budget allocation for sanitation implementation and the link between the target of 85 000 households in DWAF’s budget and the Presidential target.

4.1.2. Free Basic Water
SALGA acknowledges that 76% of municipalities have available water services infrastructure which provides 26 704 348 million people with free basic water. SALGA acknowledges the following challenges:

(a) The development and implementation of indigent policies.
(b) The delivery of free basic water to unserved and poor households.
(c) Large scale meter installations, billing systems, debt collection and municipal arrears.
(d) Availability of quantitative data to assess the impact of service delivery and the impact thereof.
(e) Consistency in data classification and the unavailability of up-to-date disaggregated data at municipal level to check on equity issues.

SALGA therefore needs clarity on the 2004/05 budget provision for Free Basic Water Implementation.

4.1.3. Transfers
SALGA notes that the amount budgeted for transfers decreases from R425 billion in 2003/04 to R411 Billion in 2004/05 and yet 150 schemes are targeted by March 2005. The Joint Transfer Policy indicates all schemes are to be transferred by June 2005.

However, while SALGA has always been supportive of the process, it has consistently stated that SALGA seeks clarity on the target stated in the Budget Vote that implies that the deadline has been amended.

4.1.4. Catchment Management Agencies (CMA’s)
Transfers and subsidies to provinces increases from R528 million in 2003/04 to R766 Million in 2004/05. There are seven proposals for the establishment of CMA’s at an advanced stage and six CMA’s are to be established by March 2005. As indicated to DWAF in 2002, SALGA’s remains concerned about the lack of Municipal involvement in the National Water Act processes and National Water Resources Strategy roll-out will have an impact on Municipal participation and/or support of these initiatives.

SALGA therefore requires clarity on DWAF’s focus on the establishment of CMA’s in light of service delivery imperatives.

4.1.5. Masibambane
SALGA acknowledges that this is a flagship programme, having demonstrable benefit to the water sector, SALGA and Municipalities. Indications are that budget allocations for Water Services Authorities and Water Services Providers and sector collaboration activities have been limited. SALGA needs clarity on donor funding that is directed to these activities.

4.2. Issues for Consideration raised by the Committee
(a) Unfunded mandates. The transfer of duties to municipalities should be coupled with appropriate resources and technical capacity to avoid unfunded mandates. The Department assured the Committee that staff with skills would be transferred to municipalities. At present, the parties are still negotiating on which staff should be transferred. This process has proved to be challenging.

(b) Implementation of the sanitation strategy. The question was raised as to whether the provision of sanitation was in line with the time-frames set by the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). The Department conceded that it was the sector leader responsible for the implementation of the national sanitation strategy. However, municipalities also have the responsibility to implement their individual strategies, which must be in line with the national strategy. Concern was raised about existing gaps that exist in the strategy. Thus, even though the
Department is striving to adhere to the WSSD time-frames, there are no guarantees that they will stay ahead of it. However, they will meet the targets contained in the Department’s strategic plan.

(c) Free basic water services. Concern was raised that municipal accounts do not stipulate clearly to communities their quota of free basic water services, and at which point they have to start paying. SALGA acceded that this was a weakness in the system as only some municipality’s accounts reflect this information. However, to date nothing has been done to improve this situation.

(d) Role differentiation between local and district municipalities, and the Waterboard. Clarification was sought as to who of these three role-players constitute the water authority. According to the Department, the municipality has the responsibility to ensure that water and sanitation is provided, and must thus identify service providers to provide the service. Communities pay their money for services rendered to the authority (which could be the district or local municipality, depending on who the Minister appoints in the Government Gazette), who then pays the service provider/s. The Committee resolved that the Director-General would provide Members with the list of water authorities Gazetted.

5. SOUTH AFRICAN ASSOCIATION OF WATER UTILITIES (SAAWU)
SAAWU is a Section 21 company that was established in March 2001. Its main objective is to build a united association of public sector water utilities which co-ordinates, mobilises and uses its collective capacity to optimise the ability of municipal authorities to provide sustainable, efficient and affordable water services to all the people of South Africa. The Association is funded through contributions by its members, and specific projects are funded by the Department. The Association identified key areas of concern in the strategic overview of the Department, as well as with certain programmes in the budget. Finally, it put forward suggestions for future mplementation.

5.1. Issues and Concerns Raised w.r.t the Strategic Overview of the Department
(a) Effective integration of institutional reform initiatives between Water Resource Management and Water Services Institutions. Issues raised include effective alignment and integration, efficiencies and costs and the slow pace of implementation of CMAs.

(b) Access to resources to meet demands for services.

(c) Challenges in implementing the Strategic Framework for water services to ensure that it:
• Does not have a negative impact on continuation, expansion and improvement of water services.
• Makes clear distinctions between national, regional and local interests.
• Ensures strong centralised leadership from DWAF as the sector leader and regulator.
• Ensures the viability of DWAF schemes being transferred to other water service institutions.

(d) Although the Association supports the broad strategic thrust of the budget, it raised the following comments with regard to Programme 2: Water Resource Management:
• A question was raised as to how water resource management charges are allocated and what happens in the case of water utilities that are currently undertaking catchment management related activities at their own cost.
• Improved and appropriate consultation and involvement of utilities in raw water pricing is required.
• There is a lack of clarity regarding national utility proposals for water resource management.
• There is an urgent requirement for formal raw water supply contracts between the Department and water utilities, as no such contracts exist at present.
• Concern was raised with regard to the Department’s capacity to monitor and effectively regulate the quality of sewage and effluent discharges.

(e) Comments raised with regard to Programme 3, Water Services, are:
• The backlogs in providing water and sanitation services should be a key driver of institutional reform initiatives to ensure that institutional reform is undertaken in a manner that ensures that sector targets are met.
• The implementation of institutional reform in the water services sector will require significant funding from 2005 onwards.
• The Department should prioritise building the capacity of its newly established regulatory function.
• As the sector leader, the Department will need to ensure that institutional reform processes and related initiatives are conducted and managed strictly and objectively in accordance with the principles and criteria set out in the Strategic Framework.
• The Department must take decisive leadership position in situations where local transitional processes impact on regional service provider arrangements and activities.
• The transfer of DWAF schemes to water boards and water service authorities will have to be accelerated if they want to meet the set targets. The current target is 150, which has to be met by March 2005. However, only seven schemes have been transferred in a 2-year period, and the
outstanding amount will have to be done in less than a year. This poses a major challenge to the Department.
• The Department will have to carefully monitor the potential impacts of changes to the funding arrangements for the sector to ensure that water service delivery is not compromised.

(f) Suggestions for future implementation are that:
• The Department should continue to make provision to support and expand specific water sector initiatives undertaken by SAAWU to build capacity and improve efficiencies. These include the water utilities and benchmarking initiative; the international and regional project for the "Twinning" of water utilities; and key training projects, such as the training of non-executive board members, strategic asset management strategic workshops.

5.2. Recommendations by Kuruman and Durban Regarding Sanitation
(a) The Department should intensify its efforts to educate and persuade municipalities that sanitation programmes that focus only on hard issues, and ignore soft issues, run on extremely high risk of failing.

(b) Programmes should not be left entirely up to officials to run, and councilors should be fully involved and be accountable to the success of sustainability of the services provided. Councilors should also inform communities about developments.

(c) Failed experiments with untried technologies should be rectified and adequate and sustainable solutions provided.

(d) The Department should undertake a study of proprietary systems, such as the Enviroloo, and make unequivocal recommendations to municipalities including decision-support information so that they are not misled by manufactures. Followups should also be made and awareness should be raised around failures, in order to avoid a repetition of mistakes.

(e) Manufactures of proprietary systems should be held accountable for installation and ongoing maintenance training.

(f) The Free Basic Sanitation policy, currently being developed, should include pit emptying, but only under certain conditions, i.e. where the user cannot be expected to do so.

5.3. Recommendations regarding Private Sector involvement in Water Service Delivery
The Council undertook site visits to Nelspruit, Dolphin Coast, Queenstown, Stutterheim, Fort Beaufort, Johannesburg Water, Odi (North of Pretoria) during 2003 and made the following recommendations:

(a) As contracts were signed before the new Local Government legislation came into effect, a mandatory review of all existing contracts is needed in the light of changed regulatory framework and control.

(b) Lack of payment for services need to be urgently addressed by political leadership.

(c) Contracts are not regulated effectively and the Council tends to abdicate this duty due to lack of capacity. Councilors should take ultimate responsibility to keep the other party to performance.

(d) It appeared on scrutiny of the contracts, that the public sector Water Service Associations (WSA) carries most of the risk. The management of risk should therefore be carefully considered. More risk should be passed to the private sector if they want to derive more benefits.

(e) Ongoing training of councilors, community representatives is necessary and the need for capacity building on the part of WSA up to the level of critical mass is essential.

5.4. Issues and Concerns Raised by the Council
(a) Need for model contracts between the Department as custodian of raw water and WSP/WSA. The Department should expedite the development of such a model contract to regulate the relationship between itself and WSA/WSP/ others purchasing raw water from it.

(b) Need for role clarification between structures in the water sector. The Water Services Sector Leadership Group (WSSLG) and the National Task Team on Institutional Reform are involved in almost the same issues. This is evidenced by their recommendations and strategic priorities for 2004/5. The Department is urged to look into the matter.

(c) National utility and institutional reform. The investigation into the creation of a National Utility to manage and develop national infrastructure should not be done in isolation of the institutional reform process and the transformation of WUA and irrigation boards.

(d) Productive use of water by the poor to alleviate poverty. The productive use of water is vital for rural growth and poverty alleviation. It is therefore critical that the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Agriculture and Land Affairs need to work more closely together to promote the Water for Food Production Movement, especially in rural areas. The relationship between Agriculture, Land Affairs and Water still needs to be strengthened.

(e) Water resource information system. The NWAC recommended that this system should be integrated to cover both water services and water management. In view of more catchment management agencies being established, the formulation of the strategy around the water information resource system should be expedited. (f) Attempts to de-establish Water Chamber. With the erosion of the skills base in the water sector through attrition and retirements, as well as the current shortage of technically qualified staff, the intention on the part of the LGWSETA to deestablish the Water Chamber without providing valid reasons is cause for concern, especially viewed against the backdrop of what the Water Chamber has achieved to date in terms of learn ships registered.

(g) The need to revisit the proposal for the establishment of catchment management agencies. The following problems, which warrant a revisit on the matter, have been identified: lack of enthusiasm/feeling of ownership by local people; poor public participation by WSA, WSP, WUA and communities; and concerns around controls to monitor performance and capping expenditure to prevent it from becoming a huge cost structure to the Department.

5.5. Issues for Consideration raised by the Committee
(a) Prioritisation of communities for investigation. The question arose as to how communities are prioritised for investigation. According to the Council, the Minister lays down the priorities in this regard. However, communities are also identified by the Council, based on observations.

(b) Composition of the Council. The Council comprises members from various sectors, and all provinces enjoy fair representation on the Council.

6. WATER RESEARCH COMMISSION (WRC)
6.1. Vision
The vision of the WRC is to be a globally recognised leader in providing innovative solutions for sustainable water management to meet the changing needs of society and the environment.

6.2. Mission
The WRC is a dynamic hub for water-centred knowledge, innovation and intellectual capital. The WRC provides leadership for research and development through the support of knowledge creation, transfer and application. The WRC engages stakeholders and partners in solving water-related problems which are critical to South Africa’s sustainable development and economic growth. The WRC are committed to promoting a better quality of life for all.

6.3. Achievements
The WRC made significant progress during 2001/02. The internal and external strategic drives undertaken by the organisation and the organizations achievements clearly demonstrate that the WRC is rapidly transforming into a dynamic, innovative "hub" for water-centred knowledge and a networking organization, linking the nation by working through partnerships.

During 2002/03 the WRC began implementing a number of strategic initiatives aimed at improving the organisation’s strategic positioning and relevance to its stakeholders and
he effectiveness of its core business processes. The organization has developed new initiatives regarding knowledge dissemination, public understanding of science and has actively addressed the issue of capacity-building in the water sector with regard to equity and redress. The establishment of new publications such as the Knowledge Review and the Water Wheel allow for both scientific/technical and popular dissemination of watercentred knowledge. In addition, the WRC participated in a number of drives supporting Women in Water in partnership with other organizations.

The WRC has established its knowledge generation, capacity-building, and knowledge transfer and dissemination portfolios of each of its key strategic areas (KSAs). The KSAs which focus on water resource management, water-linked ecosystems, water use and waste management and the utilization of water in agriculture, were found to be effective and appropriate building blocks for addressing water-centred knowledge needs in South Africa.

One of the major global events that shaped the world approach to managing water was the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) which was held in South Africa, with an emphasis on water-centred activities at the WaterDome. The WRC played an active role in the preparation towards the WSSD (various local workshops, support to different Government Departments, Afrisan, and the Accra declaration). During the WSSD the WRC led and participated in many sessions, having a strong presence at the WaterDome as well as the Science and Technology Fora.

The WRC has developed strong partnerships with many local, African and global institutions, with the aim to leverage research inputs and outputs, enhance knowledge dissemination and actively support the NEPAD initiative. Some examples include the WRC partnership with the Collaborative Council for Water and Sanitation, the SADC water sector, the Global Water Research Coalition and many other local and international bodies.

The new Board appointed the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry commenced its term during June 2002. The composition of the new Board provides for strong water-centred knowledge and leadership as well as a high level of competence regarding governance, skills and knowledge in all domains of corporate management which require appropriate governance. The new Board includes representatives of the water industry, central and local Government, academia, research councils, other research organizations (local and international), NGOs and implementing agencies. The new Board has made its mark during the year under 2002/03, actively directing the WRC to greater heights.

6.4. Committees Response
The Committee appreciates the WRCs active role in water and water resource management. However, the Committee would appreciate it if all participants could base its presentation on the relevance the budget and how the budget would enhance/impact the activities of the WRC to improve the provision of water and sanitation to the people of South Africa.

7. THE UMGENI WATER BOARD
The Water Board made the following general comments:
(a) The Budget does not give a clear vision as to how far it assists the sector.
(b) It is the water industry, and not the Water Boards, that have to be restructured.
(c) Not all municipalities have the capacity to deliver on their mandate to provide water services effectively, which includes funding resources. The municipality might receive the required funds, but may not know how to absorb those funds. The DWAF and DPLG thus need to work together with municipalities.
(d) The Millennium Development Goals are not only the problem of the Department, but require multi-sectoral responsibility. The Department, Water Boards and municipalities should thus take collective responsibility for the sector, to ensure that challenges are met.
(e) There is a lack of direction from the Department in relation to black economic empowerment in the water sector.
(f) There is no clear understanding of the extent to which the Department requires participation by municipalities and Water Boards in continental initiatives such as NEPAD.

8. RAND WATER
Rand Water raised concerns over the backlog in their area of service (Northern Province, ODI Retail):
(a) There is a water backlog to 10,9% of the people and to 332, 000 households.
(b) There is a sanitation backlog to 19,1% of the people and to 581, 000 households.
(c) Bucket sanitation is still being used in Intabazwe and in Bekkersdal.
(d) The capital needed to eradicate the bucket system of 400 households in Intabazwe is R700 000.
(e) The total subsidy received (from the DWAF) for ODI retail is approximately R14 million. This is split between Tshwane (R12, 5 million) and Madibeng Municipalities (R1,5 million). Tswane receives the largest share based on the number of consumers in its area.

8.1. Key Issues for ODI
(a) Ensuring high standards of water quality.
(b) Cost recovery (keeping control of bad debts).
(c) That there is a very high level of service for a low income area and this exacerbates the problem of bad debts.
(d) That the unaccounted for water should be reduced given the poor quality of infrastructure.
(e) The R40 million subsidy from Tshwane and the R14 million from DWAF could be halved if very stringent credit control methods were applied.

8.2. Community Development Initiatives
Since 1994 Rand Water has:
(a) Established community development support units (CBPD and Rand Water Foundation).
(b) Established an implementing agent for, inter alia, DWAF, to work on a cost recovery basis only.

8.3. Rand Water Projects
Rand Water focuses on the following projects:
(a) Water supply provision through bulk construction and reticulation pipelines.
(b) Sanitation services through the construction of sanitation facilities and the creation of health and hygiene awareness campaigns/projects.
(c) Water conservation.
(d) The eradication of alien plants for water conservation.
(e) Domestic leak repairs, which will assist the reduction of water wastage through repairs of domestic leaking pipes, taps and retrofitting of cisterns.
(f) Rand Water informed the Committee the budget for project implementation for this year is R22,1 million. Implementing fees amounts to 10% of the projects value. Rand Water also brought to the attention of the Committee that by being a cost recovery structure money has been saved during the implementation of projects.

8.4. Challenges for Rand Water
(a) Increasing access to water and sanitation services.
(b) Ensuring affordable and sustainable services.

8.5. Issues for consideration raised by Rand Water
(a) Conclude the amendments to the Water Services Act (1997).
(b) Do Water Utilities have a role to play in Nepad?
(c) Water service provision is premised on water resource management. It is therefore important that the Department guide the reform process.
(d) There is a need for clear guidelines and criteria for the sector reform process.
(e) The capacity in water utilities needs to be leveraged.
(f) The Department should encourage partnerships rather than boundaries between service providers .
(g) Rand Water challenges service providers to co-create the future.

8.6. Further Comments
Rand Water informed the Committee that:
(a) They are concerned about concrete solutions to cure the problems of sanitation.
(b) Because of security of tenure services are delivered to certain communities only and that many people are not provided with services especially around Eikenhof.
(c) The community are involved in projects to eliminate alien vegetation.
(d) They acknowledge the Department’s yearly contribution towards Working for Water and Soil Erosion projects.
(e) They are involved in other areas as well (e.g. Mfuleni) to make services available to the people.

The Committee congratulated Rand Water for the way they prepared their presentation. The Committee acknowledged and applauded Rand Water for its active participation in the Community. The Committee acknowledged that Rand Water was playing a very important role in the efforts to provide services to the people of the country.

9. LEPELLE NORTHERN WATER (LNW)
Lepelle was established in 1997 as successor in title of Phalaborwa, Northern Transvaal and Bosveld Water Boards. Its jurisdiction covers 80 square meters or 72% of Limpopo. It represents major customers, municipalities and the public. Lepelle consists of eight schemes. It provides 211 megalitres of water per day and 140 litres of industrial water. It has a pipeline for water distribution that covers 1062 kilometres. Lepelle has a staff complement of 280, with an asset base of R700 million rand. Lepelle has a turnover of R44 million per annum and all its operations are done in-house. Lepelle has its own fleet to support operations, with sophisticated maintenance equipment and a computerised distribution control system.

9.1. Key Achievements
(a) Extended water services to communities.
(b) Effective water metering and cost recovery systems implemented in rural areas.
(c) Computer driven systems on cost recovery at RDP standards that ensures equitable water access by communities.
(d) They have successfully replaced chlorine with sodium-hypo-chloride by utilising table salt.
(e) They have turned around deficit into surplus from the year 2001 and have maintained this surplus status.
(f) They have piloted a partnership with Mogalakwena municipality and Anglo Platinum to increase water supply in Mokopane.
(g) Bad debts are still an under achievement due to defaults on payments by municipalities.
(h) They have achieved below inflation tariff increases for the past three years and enjoyed labour stability over a number of years.

9.2. Comments on the budget
(a) There is a need to assess the capacity of local government or receiving institutions to ensure sustainability and viability.
(b) Lepelle acknowledges that the budget is in line with the Strategic Framework for Water Services.
(c) There is a need for proper indigent policies by municipalities to ensure success.
(d) An effective costing and ring fencing of the free basic water grant is necessary.
(e) The MIG is to be utilised in such a way that it achieves affordability of water services especially in rural areas.
(f) Five district municipalities in Limpopo were granted water authority status. These district municipalities emerged in 2000 during the elections out of one district council. During the past years, these municipalities were grappling with issues of creating institutional capacity but only a few have succeeded thus far. Departmental support towards these municipalities has not achieved much as yet. The Department is the biggest service provider in the province.

9.3. Issues of Concern Raised by Leppele
(a) In most areas where the Department is providing a service there is a culture of non payment for services.
(b) There is a need to change this culture even before the service is rendered.
(c) There is a lack of capacity in municipalities which delays the Section 76 processes, therefore there is a need for increased assistance from the Department to municipalities.
(d) MIG Spending: There are capacity problems with regard to spending the funds and the MIG unit of Limpopo highlighted this recently. Therefore, there is a need to design intervention mechanisms.
(e) Water Resources Management: Leppele supports the Department’s role change, to focus on policy, regulation, oversight and monitoring. However, the Department’s involvement in the water supply chain is problematic. Leppele commends the recent consultation process by the Department on raw water price setting.
(f) Prepaid water meter systems: The supplier is experiencing problems with the prepaid water meter systems as the systems are being vandalised by the people. The supplier does not have the capacity to install these systems. The prepaid system on RDP standards is problematic, the RDP standard is a meter on a number of people, and because of this the meter is getting unnecessary hammering and cannot take this kind of hammering. The reticulation of the network should therefore be expanded, if reticulation is not finalised the whole process is unnecessary. Immediate intervention is therefore required from the Department.

9.4 Concerns Raised by the Committee
The Committee thanked Leppele for their presentation, however the Committee was
concerned that the presentation in no way emphasises how the budget can be appropriated to assist them in their services to the community. The reason for the Committee asking providers of services to present at the meeting was to get a sense of how they see the budget to be able to assist them in their daily provision of services to the people. The Committee expresses its disappointment that nowhere does Leppele indicate this.

10. SUBMISSIONS BY CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS
10.1. Water Resource Management
The South African Water Caucus, an umbrella body representing various stakeholder organisations, made one submission, followed by a number of member organisations focusing on their specific area of activity/interest.

A. South African Water Caucus (SAWC)
The presenter explained that the role of the umbrella organisation is to share information and to lobby Government on issues of access to water and water cutoffs. The focus of the presentation was the allocations in the Budget Vote to civil society organisations and the question of reparations in respect of persons affected by the building of dams. Water Caucus also wanted to raise questions regarding the identification of stakeholders and how they participate in discussions and decisionmaking.

In addition, it wanted to explore the question of accountability at the level of municipalities regarding matters of access to water, water cuts and prepaid water meters.

(i) Stakeholder empowerment and participation
The SAWC welcomed the allocation of R104 million for the purpose of stakeholder participation. However, the presenter noted that stakeholder participation was very expensive and that this allocation might therefore be inadequate for its purpose. It was noted that the DWAF makes great efforts at ensuring interaction with civil society organisations, but that the role of these organisations was not clear. The submission also argued that there was no institutional memory in the DWAF on key stakeholders, with the result that stakeholders appear to be invited to consultations randomly. The presenter also commented on the fact that the budget made provision for payments to expensive consultants, while there was no real provision for the role of community representation and participation.

SAWC noted that it had made proposals to the DWAF concerning the building of dams and the recreational issues related to this, but that these proposals seem to have gotten lost. Addressing the issue of leakages at taps, the presenter made reference to a pilot project in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, where grassroots organisations have started a project aimed at reducing leakages at water taps. However, as there was no funding for community activists in the budget, it was difficult for them to interact with the municipality effectively.

(ii) Recommendation by SAWC
The submission recommended that the DWAF develop qualitative indicators for stakeholder participation that would reflect not only how many organisations participated in discussions, but what the impact of their participation is.

(iii) Questions raised by the Committee
Members required more information on the nature of the Water Caucus relating to the role that rural communities play, the nature of the funding the body received, and what role the Caucus was playing in ensuring a transfer of skills to community-based organisations in rural areas. Members also asked whether the SAWC had specific ideas on replacing the skills offered by consultants. In addition, the SAWC was asked to comment on the role they could play in ensuring that communities from all over South Africa participate in parliamentary processes.

In addition, Members asked what SAWC had meant with reparations. They also wanted to know whether the budget was in line with the goals set out in the State of the Nation Address.

(iv) Response by SAWC
The presenter noted that the umbrella body had no funds of its own, but that member organisations funded its activities. It was also noted that it was in essence an advocacy group that has in the past cooperated with the DWASF on specific projects. The body believed that it had contributed to creating spaces for debates on critical water-related issues. The presenter also argued that the R104 million should be used to maximise community participation in discussions on access to water.

With regard to reparations, the presenter replied that this was related to those communities displaced by the building of new dams as well as those displaced by the process before 1994.

(v) Comments from DWAF
The Department noted that a number of agencies for the management of water resources would be formed. In this process, attention would be given to ensure that water resource institutions are co-managed by community stakeholders. It was also noted that it was not always ideal to replace technical consultants with CBOs, as there were very strict requirements for the awarding of government tenders.

(vi) Comments from Chairperson
The Chairperson felt that the DWAF had a responsibility to ensure that young black activists are mentored and their studies supported in order to attract such young people to the sector and to create greater equity at professional level.

B. Inanda Dam and Earthlife eThekweni
The submission argued that the Inanda Dam had been built mainly to service the white population for the greater Durban area. Communities have not always been consulted in relation to further work regarding the dam, and decisions are not always implemented. The building of the dam displaced large communities, and there are people in the affected communities that have been living in "temporary" accommodation for more than 20 years. They were badly affected by the 1987 flooding, but have as yet received no compensation. Ironically, this community is not benefiting from the dam, as up to five families have to share one tap. The submissions called for reparations for the affected communities.

C. Vukila Manzana
The organisation, which represents people displaced by the Gariep and the Van der Kloof dams, noted in its submission that there were a large number of graves that were flooded by the dams, while the communities also lost their houses and livestock. The community would like to have the impact of the dams on their livelihoods recognised, and would like to see some form of symbolic recognition, such as a plaque noting the relevant details, a public apology as well as compensation for the material loss. The submission noted that good progress had been made in the Northern Cape, Free State and Eastern Cape, where land has been made available and tourism ventures have been initiated. However, the affected communities feel that they should get preference in development initiatives, as they have received no compensation. It was also noted that the affected community found it difficult to make themselves heard, as most of the original members are very old and many of them are illiterate.

D. Wildlife and Environment Society
The submission argued that South Africa is a very dry country, and that the management of water demand and water resources should be budgeted for appropriately. In addition, the submission noted that municipalities must be made more accountable for the money they receive in respect of providing water services. The water provided by municipalities is also often found to be of a substandard nature, and in this regard, the DWAF has a crucial role to play in monitoring safety standards.

The presenter noted that when the provision of water services is outsourced, attention must be given to including local organisations in the tendering process, and there must be active support for local initiatives aimed at improving the management of water.

E. Emerging farmers: Hantam District
The presenter stated that the emerging farmers in this region need financial assistance with the installation of boreholes and windmills, as they farm in an arid area that has virtually no surface water. He also noted that there was a need for an effective partnership between stock farmers and communities. Where communities have been awarded commonage without water, they cannot farm.

The submission argued that emerging farmers are being treated the same as commercial farmers when it comes to paying for water. This was unfair, as emerging farmers had much greater need of assistance, and access to fewer resources.

F. Emerging Farmers: Namakwaland
The presenter said that Government had given the community a farm, but that the farm was not currently viable for agricultural produce. The community has commonage of 500ha, but without water they cannot keep livestock. The submission asked whether there was any form of support that could be made available to these communities.

10.1.1. Issues of Concern Raised by the Committee
(a) With regard to the money allocated for stakeholder participation, the Committee asked what organisations such as SAWC intended to use the money for, and how it would be distributed among organisations. A Member also noted that NGOs receive substantial funding without visibly making a difference in people’s lives

(b) With regard to the Inanda dam, Members asked whether an assessment has been done on the environmental impact of the dam. Was a water needs assessment had and what are the problems in this regard? In relation to reparations paid to members of the affected communities in the Inanda area, Members asked whether the money was paid to individual amaKhosi, or whether the reparations money was to be held in traditional authority trust. The question also referred to whether land formed part of the reparations awarded, and whether the issue has been taken up with the Land Claims Commission.

(c) Members asked what other forms of assistance and reparations dam-affected communities were looking for, and what role the presenters though the Parliamentary Committee could play in this regard. The presenters were also asked what specific proposals they would make with regard to a public apology. Finally, Members asked whether the reparations motivated for by the presenter was in touch with what the community wanted.

(d) Members asked what the position of the SAWC was in relation to water cuts.

10.1.2. Response by the Director-General of DWAF
The Director-General noted that the Minister recognises the problems in places such as Inanda, but in relation to the displacement of communities before 1994, it must be clear that communities must make use of the existing avenues for reparation, such as the Land Claims process. There are discussions under way concerning those communities that have been displaced after 1994. these discussions are aimed at ensuring that each time a dam is built and a community moved, that community must not be worse off than before the construction of the dam.

10.1.3. Response by Presenters
With regard to the questions relating to reparations and the role of the amaKhosi, presenters noted that the Department of Land Affairs had awarded some communities land as compensation, but that there was still some uncertainty as to who would control the land awarded. Some communities have taken the issue to the Land Claims Court. However, it is clear that the issue of control over the land and resources remains an issue of dispute between communities and the amaKhosi.

One presenter repeated the idea that communities affected by dams built should get preference when it comes to the delivery of services, and not simply have to wait for general upgrades in infrastructure.

With regard to the allocation of R104 million, the presenter said that Water Caucus could play a meaningful role in assisting smaller organisations to access funding. In his concluding remarks, the Chairperson noted that rural development cannot take place without water, and that the DWAF has the responsibility to ensure that the budget addresses this matter. In addition, he felt that civil society organisations must play an active role in strengthening the relationship between communities and the service provider, namely local government.

10.2. Water Services
A. Youth Organisation, Khayelitsha
The group focuses on issues concerning access to water, payment for services and the establishment of food gardens, mainly in Harare, Khayelitsha. The submission noted that
there were high rates of unemployment, coupled with difficulties on the side of the municipality in implementing the indigence policy. The alternative to some of the problems that the group has promoted include encouraging families to stop leaks at taps, installing tanks for rainwater harvesting and the promotion of water conservation.

The Water Leaks Project in Harare is a multi-disciplinary project that ahs achieved some agreements between local government, engineers and the community organisation. The
project is implemented over three stages, the first one being the identification of the project area, the second being raising awareness in the community and providing training to members of the community over 6 months to enable them to repair leaks themselves, while the third stage would evaluate the entire project.

(i) Recommendations
(a) The increased water resource management budget must be used to support the mandate that local government has in this respect.

(b) Community-based organisations must be subsidised in order to raise awareness and to enable such organisations to provide training in communities.

B. South African National Civics Organisation Durban
The submission by SANCO, Durban, noted support for the free basic water policy, but said that it was not being implemented everywhere in the country. It was also noted that the service fee charged by municipalities sometimes differ from street to street in the same community, while infrastructure in townships is in extremely poor condition. Where there are leaks, a family pays for water it does not use. In addition, people who have been blacklisted have no access to water.

SANCO proposed a flat rate for water services in eThekweni, and the amount of R2 per family per month was mentioned.

C. Rhedi, Alexandra
This organisation noted that poor sanitation and a lack of access to water affect the health of poor people negatively.

(i) Recommendations
(a) Social and environmental concerns should be given equal weight as technical and financial considerations when implementing water services.
(b) A moratorium should be placed on the building of dams until all other indigenous water knowledge options have been exhausted in consultation with the disadvantaged sectors.
(c) Alternatives to large dams must be made more feasible through financial support for such initiatives.

D. Orange Farm Community Representative
The submission focused on the difficulties the Orange Farm community is experiencing in accessing and paying for water. The presenter was very critical with regard to the privatisation of water services as well as the installation of prepaid water meters, stating that these measures deny them of their constitutional right to free basic water. The community has since the installation of the meters destroyed a large number of meters.

The submission also alleged that those members of the community who are mobilising against the prepaid meters are being victimised by the service provider.

E. Mvula Trust
Mvula Trust noted support for the provision of free basic water to poor communities. It also indicated that it views VIP toilets as the basic minimum standard for sanitation. It commended those Water Service Agencies that have policy around free basic water in place, but noted that this is not the reality for the largest part of rural communities. The DWAF should therefore focus on the rollout of free basic water to rural communities, and ensuring compliance with the minimum of 6kl per household.

The presentation noted that the allocation for infrastructure development was substantial, and that this should be utilised to fast-track the delivery of water services. In relation to civil society organisations, Mvula Trust noted that CBOs in rural communities are best placed to ensure long-term low-cost sustainability of water services. In light thereof, the DWAF must provide strong support for partnerships between communities and municipalities. The Masibambane capacity development programme must be supported. The submission also noted that the policies on procurement at municipal level are problematic, as they are prejudicial to CBOs.

(i) Recommendations
(a) DWAF must ensure that municipalities establish effective institutional arrangements.
(b) DWAF must ensure that development occurs in virtuous cycles, and must promote the prevention of the spread of water-borne diseases, productive use of water and the utilisation for water as stimulator for local economic growth.
(c) The shareholder criteria in tendering put community-based initiatives at a disadvantage and must be removed. The existence of a Board or Management Committee must be weighted the same as in the private sector.

10.2.1. Questions raised by the Committee
(a) What has been the role of ward committees and CBOs in engaging municipalities?
(b) What proposals do civil society organisations have with regard to resolving issues at Orange Farm?
(c) Does the large number of civil society organisations not mean a duplication of services, and therefore poor utilisation of resources?
(d) What role can large organisations such as Mvula Trust play to assist local government and communities to solve problems around water service delivery?

10.2.2. Response by the Presenters
Ward committees have been involved in resolving issues such as those at Orange Farm, but they do not function appropriately, as committee members ensure that they are first in line for benefits derived. The issue at Orange Farm is that the community is opposed to the privatisation of basic rights, as it believes this process is the result of an obligation on the side of government to repay apartheid debt. The community believes that large-scale users of water must subsidise free water to poor communities.

10.2.3. Response by the DWAF
The Department noted that the constitutional structures for the development of communities are the best avenue to follow to resolve issues of water service delivery. CBOs therefore have an important role to play in shaping Integrated Development Plans and Water Service Plans.

10.3. Forestry
A. Geosphere
The presenter noted that South Africa has 16 million hectare plantations, mostly of alien vegetation. This has an enormous impact on water resources, quality of soil and the
livelihoods of communities living in the vicinity of commercial timber plantations. The submission further noted that the budget distinguishes between indigenous and alien forests, with most of the money being allocated to alien forests. This raises the question of whether the government is subsidising the enterprises of multinational companies. The submission also argued that commercial timber plantations is not a viable option for emerging farmers, and that it is not creating large numbers of employment opportunities. Where state forests are being privatised, contractors are expected to bear the high cost of issues such as providing for workers affected and infected by HIV/Aids.

In his follow-up presentation, the presenter focused on the negative impact that largescale
commercial timber plantations have on the ability of neighbouring communities to maintain traditional ways of life, as well as the destruction of biodiversity through mass afforestation. He also noted that although 80% of South African timber plantations have been accredited as "responsibly managed", this is questionable. While the presenter did not call for an end to all timber plantations, he did propose that it be mixed with other elements of agriculture to ensure that biodiversity is protected. One of the examples noted was the cultivation of hemp for industrial and textile purposes.

(i) Recommendations
(a) A moratorium must be placed on the establishment of commercial timber plantations until a calculation has been done of the real costs to South Africa of this industry.
(b) DWAF should take its regulatory role with regard to forests more seriously, and acknowledge the damage that these plantations are causing.

B. Timberwatch Coalition
This organisation, which was formed in 1995, focuses on raising awareness around the differences between forests and plantations. The submission highlighted the negative
impact of living near and working on plantations, such as loss of grassland, loss of traditional recreational lands, high water usage of commercial plantations, and forced removal from arable land to land that is less habitable.

(i) Questions raised by the Committee
(a) In the face of huge unemployment, what alternatives would the two organisations suggest for commercial timber farming with significant job creation?
(b) If timber plantations drain the soil of all nutrients, what would be the benefit of clearing plantations?
(c) If plantations are to be destroyed, how would South Africa supply in its own timber needs?
(d) Do the alternatives suggested by the organisations offer sufficient economic and employment opportunities?

(ii) Response by the Presenter
(a) The intention was not to remove all commercial timber, but to emphasise the negative aspects of commercial timber plantations.
(b) Alternatives include eco-tourism and eco-plantations, but there are challenges in this regard.
(c) With the correct treatment, soil will become useable over a long period.
(d) The restructuring of state forests must take into consideration the impact of monocultures on the environment and communities near plantations.

C. The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF)
The role of the Forestry section of the Department is changing from being a stakeholder in the industry, it is focusing on its role as regulator. The Department believes that plantations can be better managed through outsourcing. It is also exploring the development of community forest management, which will extend the benefits derived from state forests to the communities around it. The focus of the Directorate is also much more developmental, aiming to reduce rural poverty and underdevelopment. In this light, forestry has been earmarked as a growth industry.

(i) Questions raised by the Committee
(a) What happens to the fines imposed where people living adjacent to state forests harvest the area for domestic use?
(b) Is the Department using water from neighbouring countries for the purposes of forestry?
(c) What has been done by the DWAF to ascertain the dangers of monoculture plantations?
(d) Is the management of indigenous forests being transferred to provincial governments? Are any such forests being outsourced?

(ii) Response by the DWAF
People living in or near forests have been awarded exemption with regard to the use of material for domestic consumption. The only control relates to sustainable use.

The DWAF is exploring the management of indigenous forests by the South African National Parks, while sustainable public-private partnerships in this regard would also be considered. Category A forests are being transferred to provincial government, while category B and C forests are being opened up for the inclusion of community management.

The Lesotho Highland Scheme is currently the only source of water from outside South
Africa. However, the DWAF seeks to maintain a balance between water conservation
and using water for economic development.

D. Forestry South Africa
The presentation by Forestry South Africa, an organisation of commercial timber companies, focused firstly on a brief overview of the current situation with regard to the industry. The submission noted that afforestation in South Africa totals nearly 1.4 million ha of land, and that the industry provides permanent employment to 130 000 people directly, and employment through support industries to another 390 000 people. The net foreign trade surplus associated with the industry totals approximately R5.8 billion, which translates into 14.6% of the total foreign trade surplus produced by the RSA. In light of this, Forestry South Africa argued that the industry is viable and has significant potential in terms of rural economic development.

In terms of challenges to the industry, the presentation noted the following:
(a) Growth in domestic demand for wood and wood-based products.
(b) The need to manage the expansion of the industry in a sustainable and locally beneficial manner.
(c) The need to broaden participation and extend benefits derived from the industry to rural communities and local economies.
(d) The need to promote awareness of the industry.

The industry intends addressing challenges in the following manner:
(a) Identifying areas for new afforestation and agreeing on a target of approximately 20 000 ha over 20 years.
(b) Ensuring that all new forests are managed in compliance with SFM criteria, and ensuring that all new forests must provide sufficient benefits to local communities.
(c) Most new afforestation to be undertaken in sustainable areas in terms of water resources, and by local communities.
(d) Training and education to be focused on black communities.
(e) Participation at the level of ownership and access to contracts broadened in line with the government’s BEE strategy.

With regard to the role of the DWAF in supporting the forestry industry, the submission argued that the DWAF should:

(a) Play a greater role in promoting awareness of forestry.
(b) Ensure that the disincentives to the industry, such as water licensing procedures, are removed and entrepreneurs encouraged to enter the industry.
(c) Ensure that there is better interdepartmental cooperation with regard to forestry issues.
(d) Provide greater support to research, education and training.
(e) Ensure that the transfer of state forests is accompanied by a transfer of skills and capacity.

In relation to the 2004/05 budget, the organisation noted the following:
(a) The reduction in the role that DWAF will have with regard to managing forests should not translate in an abandonment of the responsibility that DWAF has to promote commercial forestry. In this regard, Forestry South Africa argued that the reduction in the allocation to the subprogramme ‘Forestry Oversight’ should not mean that the DWAF’s responsibility to promote forestry would be neglected.

(b) The work done by the Forestry Enterprise Development Office (FEDO) is critical in kick-starting the Eastern Cape Forestry Programme, and the industry is concerned about the reduction in the allocation for this purpose.

(i) Questions raised by the Committee
(a) Does the industry offer bursaries for forestry study?
(b) How will the envisaged growth in the sector take into account the negative impact of commercial forestry highlighted earlier? What about limited water resources?
(c) What incentives would the industry propose to attract new entrepreneurs?

(ii) Response by Forestry South Africa
Forestry is the only sector that is required to obtain water licenses. The complexity of the licensing process acts as a disincentive. Active promotion of the industry as well as extension services to emerging farmers could act as strong incentives.

Research has shown that there are areas in South Africa where forests can be planted – the Eastern Cape being an example.

The Sector does provide bursaries to forestry students, but currently there is a smaller demand than the number of bursaries available.

11. SUBMISSIONS BY PROVINCIAL DEPARTMENTS OF EDUCATION
11.1. Free State Province: Department of Education
The Department of Education in the Free State inherited a huge number of schools in poor conditions and with inadequate facilities. Schools in disadvantaged areas are without necessary basic infrastructure for water and sanitation. The Education Department is therefore challenged to address the backlogs in basic physical infrastructure such as available, clean running water and sanitation. The most acute shortages in running water and toilets are found in rural areas.

The profile of the Department of Education (Free State) after the 10th day survey in January 2004 is:
(a) 327 460 learners in Primary Schools.
(b) 211 937 learners in Secondary Schools.
(c) 49 065 combined school learners.
(d) 4 670 learners in Special Schools.
(e) 39 392 learners in farm schools.
(f) 1114 Schools in rural areas.
(g) 961 schools in urban areas.

11.1.1. Toilets needed per district as at April 2004
(a) In Xhariep there are 14 schools, approximately 56 toilet blocks need to be built to accommodate these schools at a total estimated cost of R1,000,000.
(b) In Motheo there are 16 schools, approximately 56 toilet blocks need to be built to accommodate these schools at a total estimated cost of R1,030, 000.
(c) In Lejweieputswa there are 7 schools, approximately 16 toilet blocks need to be built to accommodate these schools at an estimated cost of R160, 000.
(d) In Thabo Mofutsanyana there are 240 schools, approximately 621 toilet blocks need to be built to accommodate these schools at an estimated cost of R11,909, 000.
(e) In the Northern Free State there are 17 schools, approximately 68 toilet blocks need to be built to accommodate these schools at an estimated cost of R1, 200, 000.
(f) A total estimated cost of R15 299, 000 is needed to fund the building of toilet blocks in all of the above mentioned schools.

11.1.2. Water needs per district as at April 2004
(a) In Xhariep, there are 26 schools with no water on site, an estimated R520 000 00 is needed to supply the school with water.
(b) In Motheo there are 38 schools with no water on site, an estimated R760 000 00 is needed to supply the school with water.
(c) In Lejweieputswa there are 135 schools with no water on site, an estimated R2, 700, 000, 00 is needed to supply the school with water.
(d) In Thabo Mofutsanyana there are 201 schools with no water on site, an estimated R2, 680, 000, 00 is needed to supply the school with water.
(e) In the Northern Free State there are 134 schools with no water on site, an estimated R4, 020, 000, 00 is needed to supply the school with water.
(f) A total estimated cost of R10, 680, 000 00 is needed to fund the provision of water in all of the above mentioned schools.

11.1.3. Interventions required by the Department
(a) Effective interventions are required to effectively use the Departmental allocations over the current MTEF to eradicate backlogs at the schools.
(b) To seek other externally funded interventions to erect new toilets and the installation of water at the schools.
(c) Exploring cost-effective modes of delivery.
(d) The Department is working hard with DWAF at a provincial level to ensure that infrastructure is provided but the problem is that DWAF allocates money directly to the municipalities. It is recommended that funds be utilised by schools in provinces, because there are cases where the municipalities channel the money meant for schools somewhere else.
(e) The provisioning of water and sanitation and other sustainable projects projects at schools to improve the quality of life of learners at farm and rural schools, especially orphaned children.
(f) Collaborating with the Department of Agriculture to establish food gardens at schools to provide sustainable meals especially to orphaned children.
(g) About 40% (approximately 4 500) orphaned children within the Department are at farm and rural schools.

11.1.4. Objectives of the interventions
(a) To enable the Department of Education to improve the quality of life of all Free State citizens by providing, erecting and maintaining the basic infrastructure for water and sanitation services provision to all schools in the province.
(b) To increase the funding for the provision of toilets at 295 needy schools in the province.
(c) To address the backlog of clean running water at 534 schools in the province.
(d) Eradicate the use of pit and bucket systems at schools to which more than 80% of the backlog is linked to the eradication of unsafe pit toilets and the bucket system.
(e) To adhere to the basic requirements of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996).

11.1.5. Beneficiaries of the intervention
(a) The entire Free State population in general and approximately 80 000 learners in particular will benefit from such a project.
(b) The environment, which will be conducive to learning and teaching.
(c) Every development opportunity provided through this project.
(d) The unemployed; this will create job opportunities for the unemployed.

11.1.6. Departmental Strategy – Toilets/Water (Interventions for current MTEF)
(a) It is envisaged that toilet blocks could be erected at 90 schools over the MTEF period 2004/05 – 2006/07 at an estimated cost of R5 280 000 million.
(b) It is envisaged that water could be provided to 60 schools over the MTEF period 2004/05 – 2006/07 at an estimated cost of R3 755 000 million.
(c) The total expenditure over the MTEF will be approximately R9 035 000 million.

11.1.7. Proposed phases that will be applied to the intervention over the MTEF
(a) The total cost of the intervention is estimated at R26 million.
(b) 2004/05 – R8 million is required.
(c) 2005/06 – R8 million is required.
(d) 2006/07 – R10 million is required to complete the project.
(e) It is envisaged by the Department of Education that this will eradicate the backlogs over the current MTEF period provided R26 million is made available.

11.1.8. Concerns Raised by the Committee
(a) What kind of model would the building of toilets be based on and will the toilets have water because water is a source of hygiene and this is needed to lead a healthy life? The Department responded by saying that the toilets will not be using water but will be erected based on the ecosystem model. The Committee found this to be problematic and requested that the Department of Education consider erecting toilets with running water.

(b) If, over the MTEF, 90 schools are provided with sanitation, what happens to the other schools, who will have to access water and sanitation.

(c) The Committee also needed the Department to provide issues of clarity as to who ensures the building of toilets and provision of water to schools. Whether it is the Department itself or Public Works? Who would be the major stakeholder in such a process?

(d) The Committee also requested the Department to build a co-operative relationship with the MEC’s and local authorities in the province to enable them to become part of the struggle to provide these services.

(e) The Committee was also concerned as to how learners survive without water especially when it does not rain in the Free State.

(f) The Committee therefore recommends that facilities are made conducive for learners to be able to learn.

(g) That other Departments such as Public Works, Health, Municipalities and Private stakeholders become involved in the process to ensure that schools are equipped with water and sanitation.

(h) That the Department of Education link up with the Department of Agriculture to ensure that the food gardens are created to assist learners in having access to meals. However, the Deaprtment of Education should ensure that fences are erected around schools to ensure that vandalism of these gardens do not occur.

(i) That the Department of Education find ways to sustain structures built at schools.

11.2. Western Cape
The presentation by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) revealed that there are approximately 950 000 learners in the province. There are 79 schools with water and sanitation deficiencies, all of which exist at former ‘farm schools’. This represents 6% of all the public schools in the province. The WCED has 452 lease agreements in respect of public schools on private property, and in the lease agreement stipulates that "the owner must ensure that a fresh drinking water supply is available at all times at the school". The submission also noted that there was no common understanding of what the minimum standards in respect of water and sanitation are. The types of sanitation available at the schools range from flush systems to both main sewers and septic tanks, ventilated improved pit latrines and the bucket system.

Among the challenges noted is the fact that the provision of classrooms has been a priority in newly developed communities. The cost of toilet blocks of on average 4 toilet seats amounts to approximately R13 000 per seat. Another challenge was the enforcement of the lease agreement as it relates to the provision of water, as well as the ongoing rationalisation of farm schools. This also impacts on the cost of transporting of children to schools with capacity.

11.2.1. Questions raised by the Committee:
(a) If the WCED is bussing 55 000 children to school daily, what is the budget for this purpose?
(b) Who is responsible for cleaning toilets that still use the bucket system? Does the Department have a budget for the replacement of such toilets?
(c) Have the problems with regard to water and sanitation at schools in the province been brought to the attention of the relevant authorities? What is the role of local government in providing these services?
(d) What has happened to the Department’s campaign around cleanliness and sanitation?
(e) Are water and sanitation problems only experienced in rural areas?

11.2.2. Response by the WCED
The WCED receives the smallest allocation in respect of infrastructure development, and the MEC for Education makes the decisions on which schools will be prioritised for development. Although the problems are more pronounced in rural areas, the issue of vandalism at schools in urban areas remains a problem. The WCED has an emergency budget in order to respond to the need for repairs as it occurs. While the ideal is flush toilets at all schools in the province, resource constraints make this impossible, and the WCED is trying to ensure that all schools have at least the ventilated improved pit latrine system.

Schools themselves are responsible for the provision of toilet paper and for the cleaning of toilets, this is a management issue that has to be dealt with by the school governing body. As far as the hygiene campaign is concerned, there have been attempts to ensure that all classrooms are equipped with a basin and running water.

Children are transported to school in both urban and rural areas, as there is an oversupply of classrooms in privileged residential areas in the cities. However, 80% of the school transport system is found in the rural areas.

11.3. Eastern Cape
The presentation highlighted the historical legacy in the province in 1994 of 1487 schools with no toilets and 1972 without any water. Efforts at addressing the issue have been limited as a result of budget constraints. 597 schools have been provided with toilets since 1994, while 692 schools have been provided with water. This means that only approximately one third of the problem has been addressed. Current interventions include the school building programme, including 301 schools for the 2004/05 financial year. Through the RIDA sanitation project, 35 schools in the former Transkei and Ciskei region will be targeted for the installation of toilets. 27 schools in the Amatole region will also be provided with toilets and rain water tanks in the current financial year.
Challenges include the limited resources and the enormous backlog the province experiences. The infrastructure budget of R466 million must address the needs of 527 schools that need toilets and 1280 schools that need water immediately. In light of the backlog in replacing mud structures, this budget is completely inadequate. After hearing all presentations presented by the different stakeholders to the Committee, and accepting that all the presentations are equally important, the

11.4. KwaZulu-Natal
The presentation from the Education Department of KwaZulu-Natal (KZNED) indicated that the most affordable option for the province in terms of water provision was to ensure that schools have water in tanks. There are 6072 schools in the province, 766 of which have no water tanks. It is also estimated that the province has a backlog of 12 000 classrooms, which translates into a backlog of 20 000 toilet seats. Each toilet seat costs approximately R12 500. However, it must be noted that a number of schools had been provided with access to water and sanitation by school governing bodies themselves. The submission further made reference to the fact that the KZNED makes an effort to enter into partnerships with communities, where communities indicate their priorities in terms of infrastructure development.

Although the Department has explored making use of boreholes as a source of water, there are certain difficulties attached to boreholes, such as the fact that it does not provide water with sufficient pressure to be used in flush toilets, and the location of the majority of rural schools on hillsides makes it difficult to locate the borehole close enough to schools. The Department has also tried to make use of portable water tanks, but this has proved to be too expensive.

The presenter argued that there were some flaws in the Water Services Act (Act No. 108 of 1997), in that it stipulated that if a water service provider is unable to meet all the demands in the service area, it should give preference to providing basic water and sanitation services. According to the presenter, this would imply that municipalities experiencing severe resource constraints are not compelled by law to provide fully developed reticulation services, but merely the basic services. In the long run, it would mean that from the side of local government there is no imperative to improve the level of servicing. The recommendation is that these provisions in the Act be reviewed.

11.4.1. Questions:
• What are the problems experienced with regard to lease agreements in respect of farm schools, and the responsibility of the farmer to provide water and sanitation?
• Has the Department prioritised addressing schools with the bucket system?
• Does the KZNED provide schools with toilet paper?
• What relationship is there between the DWAF, DOE and local government with regard to addressing the most critical water and sanitation needs?

11.4.2. Responses:
(a) There had been a number of meetings between the KZNED, provincial officials from DWAF and the provincial Department of Works. DWAF had indicated that R150 million would be made available to provinces to develop sanitation strategies. However, the money has not been made available, and the relationship between the KZNED and DWAF has to a large extent been inactive.

(b) The bucket system is still in place specifically in those schools on private property. There is a good relationship with only 200 out of 906 such schools, which exacerbates the issue. Building toilets has not been the greatest priority for the Department of Works, as their backlog in replacing mud schools and repairing others is tremendous. Therefore the KZNED is exploring public-private partnerships with a number of partners to build toilets.

(c) The KZNED is trying to forge closer links with municipalities. Some municipalities are already supplying schools with free or cheaper water. However, many local governments see schools as the exclusive responsibility of the Education Department, with the result that they are reluctant to play their full role in providing infrastructure.

11.5. Limpopo
The presentation indicated that there had been a backlog of 35 000 classrooms in 1994, as well as significant backlogs in terms of fencing in of schools yards and the provision of clean running water and hygienic sanitation. The situation in the province has been exacerbated by the damage caused by the torrential floods in 2000. the policy in the province is to build a toilet block with four seats for every four classrooms built. Taking into account that the province has built nearly 24 000 classrooms, this means that approximately 6000 toilet blocks with four seats each have been built. However, the building of pit latrines on large scale has caused the contamination of ground water, especially that derived from boreholes. This building process has therefore been halted until alternative solutions have been found. Making use of dry sanitation systems, ‘enviroloos’ or urine diversion systems or using septic tanks are options that are currently being explored. Environmental Impact Assessments are also carried out in respect of various sites where the need for sanitation has been identified.

According to a survey done in 2002, approximately 2000 schools in Limpopo did not have any form of water supply. 163 schools have been targeted for immediate action, and R30 million has been set aside for this project in collaboration with the DWAF. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) also identified 560 schools to be used as voting stations in the April 2004 national elections, and assisted in providing water and sanitation to those schools.

11.5.1. Questions:
• What is the situation with regard to water and sanitation at farm schools?
• Is there a strategy for the replacement of bucket toilets?
• Has the water derived from boreholes installed at schools with the aid of the IEC been tested for contamination? Are these temporary installations, or intended to be permanent solutions?
• What has been the experience of the Limpopo Education Department in respect of contractors sourced to provide water and sanitation services at schools? Does the Department have a system of following up on contracts and enforcing agreements?
• Are there municipalities that have assisted schools in obtaining water?

11.5.2. Responses:
The provision of water and sanitation does not appear to be a significant problem at farm schools in the province, and most farmers comply with the section 14 agreement.

Although there is some resistance on the side of farmers to signing lease agreements, they still provide schools with water and sanitation. The presenter was also not aware of the existence of bucket toilets at schools in Limpopo.

The boreholes installed in response to the IEC initiative are meant to be a temporary measure until it is possible for local government to provide bulk water to schools for this purpose. The water from these boreholes has not been tested, but the boreholes should be replaced as soon as possible.

While local governments do not have to build toilets at schools, there are a number of them that have assisted with this issue. The bulk of infrastructure spending in the province is allocated to improving water reticulation.

11.6. Northern Cape
The submission by the Northern Cape Education Department (NCED) revealed that the province inherited a large number of schools with poor facilities, although the situation in the Northern Cape is relatively better than in the rest of the country. The poorest infrastructure, water and sanitation conditions are found at farm schools, where there is also significant resistance to signing ‘section 14’ lease agreements.

In light of the fact that a large number of small schools on farms have become unviable in terms of learner quantities, the number of farm schools has been reduced from 136 in 1996 to 84 in 2004. 505 classrooms have been built, and 23 schools supplied with running water. Although technically all schools have some form of water and sanitation, there are some that are in a very poor condition.

The NCED indicated that it has set targets for the replacement of all non-brick classrooms, the replacement of bucket latrines, as well as upgrading pit latrines, using the latest VIP technology available. However, it is unlikely that the NCED will reach these targets, given limitations in their budget.

11.6.1. Questions
What has happened to children from farm schools that have now been closed? What impact has this process had on the lives of the affected learners and their families? There appears to be no coherent strategy to supply schools with clean running water, the NCED relying instead on drawing water from rivers. Why is this the case? What is the position of Khoisan communities in the Department’s planning?

11.6.2. Responses
The closure of farm schools was necessary, and has been implemented in such a manner that no learner is denied access to education. In fact, in most cases, children now attend schools that are better equipped. Many learners are transported to school, while others are housed in school hostels, which the NCED subsidises at a rate of R950 per child per quarter. The cost of learner transport in the Northern Cape amounts to R22 million per annum.

In relation to the Khoe and Khwê communities, it was noted that one school has been erected at the new settlement at Platfontein, at the cost of R12 million. The community will be serviced by the Sol Plaatje District Municipality. Members of the community are resettling in this area from across the province, most of them from the temporary settlement at Schmidtsdrift. Because of the resettlement, no other schools have to make special provision for the needs of members of these communities.

When the NCED speaks about water drawn from rivers, this does not mean that the water reaches pupils unrefined. In fact, it is sent through a purification process and reaches
schools and communities through proper reticulation systems.

12. Recommendations by the Committee
(a) That school sanitation be considered in the country as a whole. That provincial reports be consolidated to enable the Department to consider the problems of water and sanitation, especially the bucket system that is rife in rural schools. It is the Committees opinion that the bucket system be eradicated.

(b) Check the effects of fluoride chlorine in boreholes. Is it being managed properly. What is the long term effects of fluoride chlorine on boreholes.

(c) It is the Committee’s opinion that especially section 14 schools are having problems in accessing water and sanitation, however, according to the Water Act all schools should have access to water and sanitation. The Committee requests the Department to investigate the matter.

(d) That access to water should be made available for all citizens of South Africa, and cattle and other animals should also be considered. Water should therefore also be made available to livestock, as this is also a source of food provision to the country.

(e) That a closer working relationship between DWAF and the Department of Health be considered, as the roles and functions of these Departments in a broad perspective of the provision of services are not clear.

(f) The contamination of water boreholes, especially in the Northern Cape and Limpopo are taken into serious consideration.

(g) The Hartebeest Dam and the pollution problem needs to become a priority. It would seem to the Committee that the Jockskei Dam once polluted affects the Hartebeestpoort Dam. The Deaprtment should look into this.

(h) The Committee acknowledges that it was reported that in the Limpopo there is no more bucket and pit systems as well as no more farm schools without water. The Committee however, requests the Department to look into the matter.

(i) That the disposal of buckets when full should not be the responsibility of the community alone but should also become the responsibility of municipalities.

(j) Provinces should react swiftly to eradicate the bucket system.

(k) The erection of timber plantations should be considered and evaluated as it uses a huge amount of water, and spoils the soil in such a manner that it becomes useless for further planting.

(l) That big timber companies, when creating employment, should hold workshops to explain to communities both the positive and negative sides of having these timber plantations.

(m) VIP toilets should be replaced by fully flushed toilets, however, VIP toilets can be considered only in extreme circumstances.

(n) Water user associations should be inclusive of all races. They should also serve people and farmers in rural areas.

(o) Should consider increasing the funding to NGO,s who are assisting the Department to provide services to the people.

(p) There should be co-operative implementation of services by all stakeholders, including Councillors and MP’s of the different provinces.

(q) When outsourcing forestry, communities should be involved. The participation of Black Economic Empowerment in Forestry should also be made clear and expanded.

(r) The Department should ensure that once the municipalities have entered into agreements for service provision that they meet their deadlines within time and good standards. Copies of these agreements should also be forwarded to the Minister. This will allow the DG and Minister to scrutinize the agreements.