Eastern Cape Premier, Mr Phumulo Masualle,
Minister of Water and Sanitation, Ms Nomvula Mokonyane,
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Mr Pravin Gordhan,
Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Ms Pam Tshwete,
MECs and Councillors,
Executive Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, Dr Danny Jordaan, other mayors and Members of Mayoral Councils and councillors,
Religious Leaders in our midst
Traditional leaders,
Senior officials,
Ladies and gentlemen
 
I am very happy to be here in the friendly city, eBhayi.
 
In the State of the Nation Address in February this year, I announced that we would launch government’s War on Leaks programme which is designed to train young people to curb water losses that are costing the country R7 billion a year. I said government, through the Department of Water and Sanitation, would train fifteen thousand (15000) artisans or plumbers who will fix leaking taps in their communities.

Today we are happy to announce that the programme has begun. The Department of Water and Sanitation has appointed the country’s leading water utility, Rand Water, as the implementing agent to help us realise this ideal. A three-phased approach has been identified for the recruitment, training and deployment of the plumbers, artisans and water agents over the project period.

The distribution in terms of numbers recruited, trained and deployed over the five year project period will be, 3000 intake in 2015, 7000 intake in 2016, and 5000 intake in 2017 to make up the total of 15 000 as mentioned during the 2015 SONA speech. This problem will enable us to provide training opportunities to unemployed young people who can be trained as water agents. They will be responsible for visiting communities to investigate water leaks and teach people to save water.

We will also train plumbers who will assist to do a number of things such as reducing water loses and repairing the sources of the leaks. We will train qualifying young people with Grade 12 or N3 with Maths and Science as fitters and turners, welders, instrument mechanics and electricians. They will do repairs, retrofitting and replacements. They will be placed in municipalities. Our key message to you today is that we must save water. Water is not unlimited. If we do not look after it, we will lose it.

We all see water leaking all over the streets and in our homes through dripping taps and pipes.
These losses also occur in various forms such as underground infrastructure, faulty and poorly maintained equipment and ageing infrastructure. Municipalities are already engaged in big projects of refurbishing the infrastructure especially the leaking pipes. This project will bolster what the Department of Water and Sanitation as well as municipalities are busy with, to rebuild the broken pipes and other infrastructure.

This is a national programme. Learners will be drawn from all nine provinces, focusing in particular on those areas that are designated as high water loss areas.

Mphakathi waseBhayi

I am also happy to be here in Nelson Mandela Bay during an important period of revitalization for the municipality and this area. You have gone through a long period of difficulties here in this city. As part of measures to improve service delivery in Nelson Mandela Metro Municipality, national government, through the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, has presented a support package to Council and this has been formally adopted.

A technical support committee has been established to coordinate activities of various departments, and the committee has established five work streams which align its work around the pillars of the Back to Basics programme. The Back to Basics programme was launched in September last year, to rebuild local government. Its pillars include Putting People First, Good Governance, Infrastructure and services, Financial Management and Institutional Development.
There has been notable progress achieved by various work streams established to improve the provision of services in Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Municipality.

There has been an improvement in the responsiveness of the municipality to complaints, through the work of the municipality’s Rapid Response Task Team. I have been informed that a range of initiatives are also under way to improve infrastructure and service delivery. For example, additional subsidies have been obtained from the provincial government to assist the municipality to maintain the major roads in the town. 

The Housing Development Agency under the Department of Human Settlements is assisting the municipality to expedite housing projects. National Treasury’s City Support Programme (CSP) is also assisting the municipality to put in place a more efficient and effective procurement system for housing projects. The Department of Water and Sanitation has committed funding for the construction of the Nooitgedacht  Water Scheme to increase water supply in the municipality. Construction has commenced and is scheduled for completion in February 2017.

Various measures are being implemented in order to improve governance in the Nelson Mandela Metro Municipality. These include a review of all outstanding legal and audit issues to ensure that they are dealt with appropriately. Investigations are being undertaken into allegations of fraud, corruption and misconduct, including a forensic investigation. This will also include ensuring that cases of fraud, corruption and misconduct are appropriately dealt with - this may include forensic investigations, disciplinary action and prosecutions.

I want to assure you that government will do everything possible to ensure that this city is revitalised and returns to its former glory. We have begun the story with the revitalisation of local government which is taking place. We have full confidence in Mayor Jordaan and are convinced that he will make a difference in turning Nelson Mandela Bay around, working with all of you as the community.

Ladies and gentlemen

Let me remind you that we have a responsibility to save water. All of us. When you see a leaking tap, close it. When you see a leaking pipe on the road, inform the authorities. Nobody should waste water. It is very scarce and we could find ourselves in difficulties if we do not act now to save water. It is for this reason that we are to train 15000 young people to help our communities to save water.

I wish to end my address with the use of this quotation from Thomas Fuller, from way back in 1732:

“We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.”

It is very true that water has no substitute. Water is life. Sanitation is dignity.

I thank you.

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria