HEARINGS ON DWAF ANNUAL REPORT 2004/10/5

 

1. OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Association are to, within its area of operation -

(a) operate and maintain government waterworks in respect of which the control has been transferred, of may be transferred by the Minister to the Association.

(b) by means of communal waterworks under control of the Association, make water available to persons entitled to the use thereof

(c) in general see to it that water is abstracted and used by persons in accordance with water use authorisations.

2. AREA OF OPERATION

The area of operation of the Association includes all properties in respect of which any person in entitled to use water by virtue of entitlements in terms of section 22(1) of the Act from the water supply system from the Teebus tunnel outlet up to and including the confluence of the Teebus Spruit with the Great Brak River and from there up to and including the confluence of the Great Brak River with the Great Fish River and from there downstream of the Great Fish River up to its confluence with the Little Fish River, including -

(a) the Little Fish River from its origin up to the aforementioned confluences and

(b) the Tarka River from and including Commando Drift Dam up to the confluence of the Tarka and Great Fish River.

The area mentioned above is +-220 km long. It includes the following towns - Steynsburg

Hofmeyr

Cradock

Cookhouse

Somerset East

Only Steynsburg and Hofmeyr don't get water from the system.

3. FUNCTION OF THE ASSOCIATION

 

3.1 The functioned to be performed by the Association in its area of operation are:

 

(a) To prevent water from any water resource and/or waterworks being wasted.

(b) To protect water resources and/or waterworks.

(c) To prevent any unlawful water use.

(d) To remove or arrange to remove any obstruction unlawfully placed in a watercourse and/or waterworks.

(e) To prevent any unlawful act likely to reduce the quality of water in any water resource.

(f) To exercise general supervision over water resources and/waterworks.

(g) To regulate the flow of any watercourse and/or waterworks by -

(i) cleaning its channel;

(ii) reducing the risk of damage to the land in the event of floods; and

(iii) changing a watercourse back to its previous course where it has been altered through natural causes.

(h) To investigate and record -

(i) the quantity of water at different levels of flow in a watercourse and/or waterworks.

(ii) the times when; and

(iii) the places where water may be used by any person entitled to use water from a water resource and/or waterworks.

(i) To construct, purchase of otherwise acquires1 control, operate and maintain waterworks considered being necessary for -

(i) draining land; and

(ii) supplying water to land for irrigation or other purposes.

(j) To supervise and regulate the distribution and use of water from a water resource according to the relevant water use entitlements, by erecting and maintaining devices, or requiring members to erect and maintain such devices at their own expense, for -

(i) measuring and dividing; or

(ii) controlling the diversion of the flow of water.

 

(k) To suspend or reduce the distribution of water from a waterworks and or water resource under its control in so far as it is needed for the execution of any of the functions or for reasons required for the proper operation and protection of the waterworks of resource.

3.2 Ancillary functions of Association

3.2.1 The Association may perform functions other than its principal functions only if it is not likely -

(a) to limit the Association's capacity to perform its principal functions; and

(b) to be to the financial prejudice of itself or its members.

3.2.2 Other functions of the Association may include:

(a) Providing management services, training and other support services to-

(i) water services institutions; and

(ii) rural communities.

(b) Providing catchment management services to or on behalf of responsible authorities.

4. DUTIES

(a) To comply with the National Water Act.

(b) Collect water rates and pay over to DWAF.

(c) Admin/Financial services to Sub-Areas.

(d) Take action against default payers.

(e) Make inputs regarding water tariffs.

5. HECTARES

The area of operation consists of 32 624.9 ha which is dived into 17 SubAreas.

The Sub-Areas are:

Teebus

Upper Grassridge

Brak River

Knutsford

Baroda

Marlow

Scanlen

Mortimer

Tarka

Renfield

Klipfontein

Hougham Abrahamson

Middleton

Boschberg

Somerset East

Sheldon

Commandodrift

6. IRRIGATORS/FARMERS

The GFRWUA distribute water via each Sub-Area to ±330 commercial farmers.

7. "EMERGING" COMMERCIAL FARMERS

B G Ntoni 2.5 ha

Masizame Trust 10 ha

N J Jaxa 75.7 ha

Isidingo CPA 41.3 ha

Lingelihle Poultry Ass. 29.2 ha

E N Feni 38.0 ha

Alpha CPA 82.0 ha

J. Z Ngalo 3.8ha

New Life CPA 103.2 ha

Zama Ukuphila Trust 75.3 ha

Lingelihle Gardeners 3.5 ha

Menzie 1.5 ha

8. WATER TARIFFS

R270.00 - R690.00 per hectares per year payable to DWAF R 15.6 million per year.

9. SUB-AREAS TARIFFS

R50.00 – R130.00 per hectares per year.

10. PROBLEMS EXPERIENCE

The payment of water and Sub-Areas tariffs. The most of the "emerging" black commercial farmers experience lack of funds. At this point of the time GFRWUA pay DWAF on the said farmers behalf and we recover the outstanding rates at a later stage or when funds become available.

Some of the said farmers have not the experience/know how to farm an irrigation farm. Training in irrigation farming is a necessity.

It is important that government/DWAF assist those farmers with the rates in either subsidies it or face it in over a period of time.

11. CHALLENGES

9.1 To see that there is a high level of payment for water

9.2 To see that water is used more effectively

9.3 To keep any increase in raw water pricing to a minimum

9.4 To upgrade canal systems.

9.5 To encourage and support its staff.

9.6 To encourage farmers to get basic domestic water to the staff residing on their farms and also provide sanitation facilities and electricity where such basics are not in place.

 

 

 

12. TRANSFORMATION

The GFRWUA was the first irrigation board to be transformed into a WUA In the Eastern Cape, and we are indeed proud of this. Although the process we followed to transform in terms of the National Water Act complied with the guidelines used at that stage, we feel that the revised guidelines are far more advanced in promoting true democratisation and empowerment after the transformation process.


The GFR WUA sees the compilation of a Business Plan (BP) as a means to advance democratization and empowerment issues not covered in detail in our Constitution. We have already put a tremendous amount of work into compiling our BP, which has some far-reaching intentions regarding democratization in general, as well as empowerment clauses, and the encouragement of the settling of Resource Poor Farmers of previously disadvantaged race groups on irrigation farms served by our WUA. We have been informed that the DWAF may be employing a Professional Service Provider to help us in the compilation of the BP, so we have in the interim put the compilation and workshopping actions on hold, to ensure that the eventual document will be acceptable to the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry. This, however, does not mean that we have put our transformation actions completely on hold. I will now cite some examples of what we are doing at present, and what our line of thinking is at present regarding transformation, with a special accent on help for Resource Poor Farmers.

Although the DWAF has a scheme for the subsidisation of the DWAF component of the water tariff, the actual process to access this has never been spelled out, which has meant that in reality there have been no such subsidies. The Historically Disadvantaged Individual (HDI) farmers in our area of jurisdiction should thus be billed for their full quota of water, whether they use it or not. In normal circumstances unpaid water bills are handed over to our lawyers for collection, and we know this could spell economic disaster for a new HDI farmer tying to find his or her feet in a highly competitive market. Our WUA thus tries to sell off the unused amounts of water of the HDI farmers to the bigger commercial farmers, which greatly alleviates the financial burden of the newcomer. It has only been in exceptional circumstances where we could not help these newcomers to our valley. In effect, we see to it that the unpaid bills are covered, and at the same time see to it that valuable water does not flow wasted to the sea, but is used to generate jobs and income elsewhere in our area of jurisdiction.

Although our BP is still in its infancy, I would like to highlight some of the points, which have been included in our first draft. The mere inclusion of the following points in our first draft, even at this early stage, already indicates a commitment to empowerment and democratization:

The GFR WUA realises that what we have in mind regarding empowerment and democratization will not be an overnight project, and will extend over decades rather than years. More than 100 years ago many poor and destitute people were settled on the Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme, as part of a social upliftment project. Today, the offspring of those settlers are highly productive members of society, and enjoy all the material luxuries expected of an above average income career. Many are highly skilled and many are very rich financially. The GFR WUA aims to do its bit to achieve the same in far less than 100 years, and trusts that the ripple effect of a strong irrigation scheme will flow over into the creation of jobs in other related fields, and that the Fish River Valley will be a rich and verdant jewel of the Eastern Cape hinterland, driven by a dedicated and skilled workforce.

A .P.M.ENGELBRECHT:CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

 

CHIEF EXECUTIVE(1)