Note to Editors: The following remarks were delivered by RISE Mzansi National Assembly Caucus Whip, Makashule Gana MP, during the debate on Budget Vote 41 (Water and Sanitation).
Ndza khensa Mutshama Xitulu
Vahlonipheki va huvo,
Holobye and xi andla xa Holobye
Mati I vutomi, loko ku nga ri na mati a ku na vutomi. Loko hi tsona Ma Afrika Dzonga mati hi ringeta kuva dlaya.
I Rise for all the people of South Africa to have clean water and quality sanitation services, as per the Constitution.
Water is life. If we do not provide clean water to our fellow South Africans, it might very well be equated to attempted murder.
We have a water emergency in South Africa. The water crisis is more severe than the electricity crisis. We cannot live without water. It’s not just that we can’t cook or clean or flush away our sewage. It’s that our throats go dry, our infant children get diarrhoeal diseases and – if we can’t afford to buy water – we die.
Holobye, vanhu va Giyani a va na mati, va aki va Lefara a va na mati.
The Giyani Water project has been under construction since 2010 and the taps are still dry. A child that was born when the project started is now a teenager and she is yet to drink the water from this project. Billions have been spent, houses and Gucci bags have been bought. Holobye, can you today say when the villages around Giyani will have water? When will the project be completed?
The people of Rustenburg and Hammanskraal do not have water or are subjected to contaminated water primarily because of the unethical and corrupt people in many water service authorities.
We have a Water Mafia that sabotages water infrastructure; and then they buy water tankers and start charging exorbitant fees to supply and sell water. Once they move in, the projects to supply piped water stalls.
As RISE Mzansi we want this budget to achieve the following:
If you do these, you will have RISE Mzansi’s support.
A hi nyikeni va aka tik ova Afrika Dzonga mati yo hlantsweka.
For South Africans to have clean water, I Rise!
Ndza khensa