Deputy President Meets Rand Water Leaders Amid Water Shortage In Gauteng, Other Areas

Deputy President Paul Mashatile has highlighted the importance of strategic engagement and collaboration to resolve the issue water shortages hurting various municipalities, including those within Gauteng.

The statement came as Mashatile, who also serves as the Chairperson of the Water Task Team, met with the Rand Water leaders on Wednesday regarding the water crisis across South Africa. This team was created by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

According to the Presidency, Rand Water is the biggest bulk water utility in Africa and one of the largest in the entire world that provides water to more than 11 million people in Gauteng, parts of Mpumalanga, Free State and the North West.

"In our efforts to avert a water crisis in Gauteng province and other municipalities around the nation, we must have strategic engagements and collaboration with the Rand Water leadership to urgently find solutions to this pressing issue," the Deputy President said, SA News reported.

The deputy president took an update from the leaders regarding the work on Rand Water to make sure that people get a proper supply of water in Gauteng's metropolitan municipalities, local municipalities, mines and large industries in the province and surrounding areas.

He praised the team for ensuring that millions of South Africans are receiving access to water because of their hard work, impacting the well-being, food security and general welfare of the Gauteng residents.

Mashatile also visited the Rand Water Zuikerbosch Plant, which is a water purification plant at Zuikerbosch Station 5A to provide a sustainable water supply and meet present and future water demands in Vereeniging city.

"I am eager to collaborate closely with the Rand Water leadership to identify a preventative measure against the impending water scarcity crisis," he said.

He added, "It is widely recognized that water is essential for sustaining life, and ensuring access to an adequate amount of water is a basic duty outlined in the Constitution, which states that 'Everyone has the right to have access to sufficient food and water.'"

During the visit, Mashatile was joined by Police Minister Bheki Cele, Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister David Mahlobo and Cooperative Governance Deputy Minister Parks Tau.