Govt will prioritise water crisis, assures Ramaphosa
President Cyril Ramaphosa has assured South Africans that the government will place the water crisis high on its to-do list.
Ramaphosa's commitment comes as residents of Hammanskraal continue to battle with the cholera outbreak.
Although the National Institute For Communicable Diseases is yet to confirm the source of the outbreak, experts suggest the decade-long water problem in the area might be the source.
The death toll from the cholera outbreak reached 25 on Thursday, with 23 of the fatalities in the area north of Tshwane.
In his reply to the debate on his budget vote, Ramaphosa said the government would embark on a programme to reform the water sector.
"Many of the contributions were useful, constructive and well-informed.
For example, (FF Plus leader Pieter) Groenewald urges the government to prioritise water in our interventions as much as we have prioritised electricity. He is correct. This is why we have placed investment in bulk water infrastructure, technical support to municipalities and reform of the water sector foremost among our most pressing tasks.
“And as you correctly said, people can get by without electricity but they cannot get by without water," says Ramaphosa.
On the electricity crisis, Ramaphosa said the anger and frustration that South Africans feel in the face of sustained load shedding is understandable.
"At times like this, the electricity crisis appears unrelenting, as if there is no end in sight.
“Yet, if one considers the work that is being done and the progress that is being made – as outlined yesterday by Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa – it is clear that we have solid ground for hope.”
He remained confident that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
"Look beyond the self-serving rhetoric from the opposition benches, look beyond the immediate crises and the negative commentary, and it is possible to see a government that is leading far-reaching reforms that will fundamentally change South Africa for the better.
“We can and we will overcome the challenges that face us today. But more than that, we are establishing the foundation for a more capable and responsive developmental state," added Ramaphosa.
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