Pretoria - The coronavirus has put a strain on the country’s already ailing water infrastructure, leaving communities with an imbalance of equal distribution of resources like water, Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has said.
“Our country has suffered an imbalance during the dark days, which many of you know of. The results are so embedded in infrastructure because those who historically had power benefited first, so it will take a bit of time to ensure the benefits reach every corner of the population,” she said.
Speaking during a ministerial panel discussion with her counterparts from Colombia, Netherlands and Sweden, Sisulu said, however, the new dispensation was doing its best to rewrite the wrongs and had improved its efforts to ensure water security for all.
“Since 1994, access to water supply has increased from only 55.1% of households having access to 88% in 2019.
“This is a remarkable feat, noting the fact that the population increased from 40.56million in 1994 to 58.7million in 2019.”
As part of the country’s intervention to curb the spread of coronavirus, Sisulu said her department established a national command centre to oversee the distribution of water tanks and tankers to communities with dire water challenges as an immediate measure to help address challenges posed by Covid-19.
As part of the long-term interventions, Sisulu said the department would implement the National Water and Sanitation Master Plan.
This spells out the country’s plan to secure water for all by 2030 and beyond.
She said the department was working with the Water Research Commission to come up with innovative ways to improve the provision of water and sanitation services across the country.
“The government is doing its utmost best to ensure that all its population has water. This is an opportune time for all of us to start valuing water, not only in a crisis, but even beyond.”
Pretoria News