The following speeches were delivered in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature by the DA’s Gauteng Spokesperson on Finance, Adriana Randall MPL, and the DA Gauteng Committee Member of SCOPA, Dr Heinrich Volmink MPL.
The DA led a debate on a Motion we tabled, in the Gauteng Legislature regarding the sustainable re-industrialisation and revitalisation of Gauteng’s economy to secure the water resources of the Province.
Speech by
Adriana Randall MPL
“Water should not be compromised in economic transformation”
• Water is by far the most valuable and scarce resource on our planet, and in the light of Gauteng’s strategy to re-industrialize and revitalise our economy, it must be treated as a strategic issue.
• As unemployment increases, currently at 27, 7%, more and more South Africans will look to Gauteng as the place to find a job and contribute to the economy. This rapid growth with its accompanying economic development and industrialization has already transformed water ecosystems and resulted in a massive loss of biodiversity.
• An ever tightening public purse is an important indicator that the government sector needs to find new and innovative ways of doing more with fewer financial and natural resources.
The full speech can be obtained here.
Speech by
Dr Heinrich Volmink MPL
“Political will needed to manage water security”
• The right to access water is enshrined in our Constitution. Not only is this right essential for life and well-being, it is also necessary for the vital economic recovery that our country so desperately needs.
• The City of Johannesburg – led by the DA – increased its budget for Johannesburg Water by 13% to R9.6 billion, with R795 million earmarked for capital expenditure.
• This vital investment is already yielding dividends for our citizens, with the Diepsloot and Orange Farm Water Reservoirs nearing completion, and major projects planned for Ivory Park, Midrand, Soweto, Alexandra and other areas. This will help to ensure water security for thousands of households and hundreds of small businesses in our province.
• Let us focus our collective will on ensuring that water services are sufficiently delivered in Gauteng; so that we can protect not only the livelihoods but, indeed, the very lives of the people we have sworn to serve.
The full speech can be obtained here.