Zille takes charge of Western Cape's #WaterCrisis

Premier Helen Zille. Picture: Michael Walker/African News Agency (ANA)

Premier Helen Zille. Picture: Michael Walker/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Jan 22, 2018

Share

Cape Town - Western Cape premier Helen Zille has written to President Jacob Zuma requesting that a National Disaster be declared due to the ongoing drought in the province.

"The National Disaster Management Act creates provision for a national disaster when more than one province is affected, or when additional resources are required to mitigate the national ramifications of a disaster," her office said in a statement. 

Zille wrote to Zuma that the drought in the Western Cape has escalated “from a threat to an imminent crisis”. 

The economic, social and financial impact of the drought is described as severe, especially if Day Zero is reached in the Cape metro. Agricultural losses in the province already run into the hundreds of millions, according to the premier’s letter.

Zille also cited severely low dam levels in the Eastern Cape, particularly in the water supply network of Nelson Mandela Bay. She said the Western and Eastern Capes are now severely at risk, necessitating “a national state of disaster to enable all levels of government and its agencies to effectively respond to the impact thereof”.

The Western Cape Government has diverted more than R369 million in funding towards disaster interventions – including water supply projects, drought relief for farmers and water security measures at key government service points, Zille's office said.

Zille met with National Disaster Management, the South African Defence Force (SANDF), the State Security Agency and other role players in Cape Town on Monday morning to discuss the crisis. 

Various representatives of the Provincial Disaster Management team presented the Western Cape's plans for Day Zero, which have been carefully prepared over the past year. 

Preparations for a likely Day Zero were discussed with role players from all spheres of government.

On Monday afternoon, Zille also met with South African Breweries at their Newlands facility, to discuss the bottling and distribution of 12 million bottles of water to parts of the City should the taps be turned off in residential areas.

This is the first in a series of meetings the Premier is to hold with the private sector, as the Province’s disaster effort seeks to tap into existing distribution networks should it become necessary to supply water to Cape Town residents on an emergency basis, her office said.

"Day Zero can only be avoided if all Cape Town residents use less than 50 litres of water per person, per day," it said.

[email protected]

Cape Argus

Related Topics: