The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) says it will prioritise the completion of the remaining delayed Bucket Eradication Programme projects in the Northern Cape and the Free State.

Briefing the media on the department’s plans and priorities for the 2024/25 financial year on Monday, Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina said of the 33 projects which formed part of the programme in the Free State, 26 have been completed (eradicating approximately 32 000 buckets).

‘Approximately 10 000 buckets remain to be eradicated in the seven incomplete projects. Of 30 projects which formed part of the programme in the Northern Cape, 29 are completed (eradicating approximately 12 000 buckets), and 596 buckets remain to be eradicated in the one incomplete project,’ Majodina said.

However, the Minister acknowledged that the programme will not result in the eradication of the ‘undignified’ and ‘repugnant’ bucket system altogether from the South African landscape. This is because the programme only focuses on er
adicating buckets in certain towns in certain provinces, where they were identified in 2012.

She said since then, and on an ongoing basis, other municipalities elsewhere have introduced buckets systems in formal and informal settlements.

‘The eradication of buckets is therefore a moving target. In order to address this, Cabinet has recently approved a National Sanitation Framework which will provide the basis for the department to issue new national minimum norms and standards for sanitation which will prohibit the use of the bucket system in both formal and informal settlements,’ Majodina said.

Working together with the Water Research Commission, the department is developing new safe, dignified, on-site and non-sewered sanitation systems.

‘These solutions will use much less water than water-borne sewered sanitation systems, which is necessary in a water scarce country such as South Africa. Such systems will need to be implemented by municipalities.’

Strengthening partnerships

The Minister added that th
e Ministry of Water and Sanitation will continue to collaborate with all sectors, especially the private sector, to contribute to resolving the country’s water and sanitation challenges.

This is in line with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call to strengthen collaboration and social compacts with the private sector, labour, civil society and government.

In addition to partnerships with mining houses for water supply projects, the department is also facilitating partnerships between the private sector and municipalities, through its Water Partnerships Office, which was established in collaboration with the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the South African Local Government Association (SALGA).

This includes finalising plans with the eThekwini, Mangaung, Buffalo City, Nelson Mandela Bay, and Tshwane municipalities to mobilise private sector finance for the replacement of leaking municipal water distribution pipes which are resulting in high levels of non-revenue water.

Water Services Amendment Bil
l

Meanwhile, the department will shortly be presenting the Water Services Amendment Bill to Cabinet for approval for it to be submitted to Parliament.

Majodina noted that despite the high level of support provided by the department to the municipalities, the municipal water and sanitation services continue to decline.

She said the Amendment Bill provides for the introduction of an operating license system for Water Services Providers, to enable Water Services Authorities to ensure that their providers have a minimum level of capability to provide water and sanitation services that meet national norms and standards.

‘The amendments propose that this should be done through the introduction of an operating license requirement for Water Services Providers, to ensure that they have a minimum level of competency.

‘The Bill also introduces measures to enable the national department to take regulatory action against municipalities which do not comply with national minimum norms and standards for water services,’
the Minister said.

Source : South African Government News Agency