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Cape Town - The special task team appointed in June to
advise on a turnaround strategy for the water affairs department has made
"considerable progress", Water and Environmental Affairs Minister
Edna Molewa said on Tuesday.
The department had had a rough time regarding negative
findings by the Auditor General on its annual report over the past few years,
she told a media briefing at Parliament.
Parliament's public accounts committee had also raised
several concerns over the department's financial and operational management.
"We have thus appointed a committee of experts to
advise over the next year on how to effect and implement a radical improvement
within the (department).
"These experts possess and have a variety of skills in
organisational renewal, financial and operational management, information
technology, and turnaround strategies in general," Molewa said.
The committee had already started addressing a number of
debilitating issues preventing the department from doing its job. One of the
greatest problems facing water provision was the ageing water resource
infrastructure.
Initiatives to address the backlog on refurbishment of
infrastructure were being developed. A rigorous asset management system would
be implemented.
Another problem was linking the bulk infrastructure provided
by the department to infrastructure provided by local government water services
authorities. Management and treatment of wastewater and infrastructure were
also being addressed.
The department was further being helped in drawing up
financial plans to secure funding for managing water provision. Human resource
systems were being reviewed to ensure the department had people capable of
doing their jobs.
