Water shortage woes

ON TOP of load shedding, corruption scandals and onslaughts on the independent judiciary and press freedom, South Africa is now facing another crisis: a water shortage.

Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane has just announced that South Africa is facing a severe water crisis. She promised that “water shedding” is not on the cards, but she also encouraged municipalities to introduce water restrictions.

READ: 7 reasons why water crisis is far worse than Eskom

How bad is this? Looking at research about the role of access to sufficient clean water in developing societies, one has to say that the present situation in South Africa could turn out to be very bad indeed.

Access to clean water is an absolute prerequisite for development, especially in poor Third World societies. Look at the following facts: a total of 884 million people worldwide do not have access to clean water. In sub-Saharan Africa this figure is 319 million. This brings about all sorts of diseases, causing 840 000 premature deaths per year.

Directly related to a lack of clean water is the fact that 946 million people do not have access to toilets and have to urinate and defecate in the open. Altogether 90% of these people live in rural areas.

As the United Nations’ Department of Economic and Social Affairs recently declared on its web page: “Water is at the core of sustainable development and is critical for socio-economic development, healthy ecosystems and for human survival itself.

"It is vital for reducing the global burden of disease and improving the health, welfare and productivity of populations. It is central to the production and preservation of a host of benefits and services for people. Water is also at the heart of adaptation to climate change, serving as the crucial link between the climate system, human society and the environment.

“Water is a finite and irreplaceable resource that is fundamental to human well-being. It is only renewable if well managed. Today, more than 1,7 billion people live in river basins where depletion through use exceeds natural recharge, a trend that will see two-thirds of the world’s population living in water-stressed countries by 2025.

"Water can pose a serious challenge to sustainable development but managed efficiently and equitably, water can play a key enabling role in strengthening the resilience of social, economic and environmental systems in the light of rapid and unpredictable changes.”

These words show the seriousness of the social and economic challenge facing South Africa today.

As Mokonyane said during a recent press conference, South Africa as such does not have a shortage of water. It is, however, a question of water being abundant in areas where it is not needed.

The present looming crisis has been exacerbated by a couple of factors.

The first is the crippling drought gripping parts of the country. This applies especially to KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo but also the Western Cape; normally water-rich, the province has just experienced a bad rainy season, with dams only 70% full while they often spill over when spring arrives.

According to Mokonyane, about 2.7 million households will be affected by water shortages.

This could have serious social and economic consequences. News reports state that the price of mealies – a staple food in poor black communities – has already risen by 60%.

READ: SA yellow maize scales 2015 high amid drought fears

This could add to the political instability and the level of dissatisfaction felt by poor communities towards the ANC government. And that could also cause even higher unrest levels and more violent protests.

Obviously, the drought is not the government’s fault. But the harsh fact is that its incompetence has made the problem worse.

In contrast to what Mokonyane implied, the wastage of so much water is not simply caused by township communities. Human rights organisation AfriForum calculated that 40% of South Africa’s drinking water – worth R7bn – goes to waste because of the deficient maintenance of infrastructure, a shortage of funding and bad management.

That this is indeed the case is illustrated by several sensational cases last year: three babies died in Bloemhof and 13 in Sannieshof because of contaminated drinking water.

In addition, Mokonyane told farmers not to expect any state aid but to start farming differently. As I have no farming experience, I cannot say if the minister is correct or not. But my common sense tells me if the ANC would really start clamping down on corruption, there would be financial space to help the farmers – and to fund more bursaries for students while they are at it.

Drought is something that happens; there is not much any government can do to prevent it. But a competent government can do much to ameliorate the consequences.