By OBAKENG MAJE
The Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Water and Sanitation and Human Settlements has unanimously adopted the National Water Resource Infrastructure Agency Bill.
This follows a thorough process of consideration, including taking into account the public submissions and responses by the Department of Water and Sanitation, the committee was unanimous that the Bill is necessary to ensure a consolidated approach to infrastructure development.
The Chairperson of the Committee, China Dodovu said the Bill seeks to ensure a sustainable, equitable and reliable supply of water from national water resources infrastructure, while meeting constitutional obligations including the national and regional social and economic objectives of national policy.
Dodovu further said the Bill also seeks to address the current fragmentation of asset management and revenue collection functions for national water resource infrastructure. He added that there is currently fragmentation of functions between the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority and the Water Trading Entity and the infrastructure branch of the department.
“The committee indicated that its support is based on the belief that the agency will make an impact on the lives of the people by ensuring the provision of water through enabling infrastructure.
“All we want are state-owned entities that make a positive impact on the lives of the people by delivering on their set objectives. We hope that those that will be given the responsibility to run this agency will do so diligently, effectively and have the best interests of the people at heart,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dodovu said the committee highlighted that it is important that the agency is properly staffed with capable and skilled individuals to ensure the delivery of its mandate. He said the committee emphasised that effective implementation of its mandate will allay fears of the continuation of the lack of service delivery.
“Furthermore, the committee called for a seamless transfer of employees from the department to the agency, to ensure job security. While the committee acknowledges the need for such a transfer of employees and the complexity of negotiations on that issue, it has called for intensified engagement to resolve the process of the transfer of employees.
“The committee is also satisfied that the concerns raised during public hearings have been adequately addressed. The unanimous adoption of the Bill by the committee shows the value the committee places on the Bill,” said Dodovu.
He said what is most important is to ensure that infrastructure development is focused, sustainable and reliable and serves the people of South Africa.
TaungDailyNews 