The department of water and sanitation has declared March as National Water Month with the focus on the importance of freshwater. In preparation for World Water Day on 22 March, the department is advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
As South Africa also commemorates Human Rights Day in March, farmers and experts across Mzansi have called on the government to do better in ensuring that access to water to farming communities becomes a reality.
‘We are barely coping’
Maphate Rakoma, a poultry farmer in Ga-Maboi in Limpopo, said the drought the country is experiencing is making matters worse and farming without reliable access to water is not only financially straining, but also impossible to do.
“Because we do not have enough underground water in our area, what really government can do to help us is by drilling boreholes for us. Maybe that might be a temporary solution to our water crisis because at the moment I am buying water monthly to keep up with my needs for water and that is not sustainable,” she said.
A livestock farmer in Tsitsing village in Rustenburg, North West, Jacob Malabe, said water in the area is a challenge and they have not had consistent water for three weeks.
“Because we operate on communal land and we cannot drill for boreholes on the farm, I need to take water to my farm daily, meaning I need to fill in water from my house tap which has been dry for the past three weeks. In the past weeks, I had to spent two days without taking water to the farm while temperatures have risen to over 36 decrees.
“Without water you cannot do anything on the farm. There is really nothing to celebrate. It is worse that this is happening during the Human Rights Month, our rights as citizens are being undermined,” he said.
Malabe said to ensure that his livestock does not die of thirst, he has to travel 40 kilometres daily to go fetch water for his livestock in nearby villages.
“One has to make a plan because this is my investment and I am looking to grow my enterprise. I take my livestock to auctions and there are terms and conditions at auctions. You cannot [sell] livestock that has not been fed or taken care of, so that is what am doing,” he said.
Not enough investment in water infrastructure
Environmental advisor Dr Anthony Turton said the question of access to water needs to first be answered by how much the country is investing in water infrastructure which directly affects farmers.
“The simple answer is that South Africa is not investing much in its water infrastructure. What is currently being spent is far behind and even if it was to be increased, the amount which is currently spent is not adequate for the needs of the population the country has.
“The population growth has simply over-stripped the infrastructure over the past thirty years,” he said.
Turton said while there are great areas of concerns regarding access to water mainly for farmers, the country has made enormous strides in ensuring that farm dwellers and farmworkers have access to water.
“They are always protected by the National Water Act in terms of basic human needs reserve so they will always get water before any other allocation can be made. So that is enshrined in law which a very powerful right and the South African Human Rights will always protect and keep government on their toes regarding that,” he said.
Turton argued that it is in the interest of farmers to ensure that farmworkers have access to clean water. “That is really the basics that must be in place and as such that will ensure that the farmer is able to develop strong relationships with their workers because water is a basic need,” he said.
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Addressing water challenges
Each year, the United Nations Water sets a theme for World Water Day which corresponds to a current or future challenge. The theme for 2024 is “Leveraging Water for Peace”.
Meanwhile, the department of water and sanitation said throughout the month they are going to have rigorous activities across the country addressing water-related challenges.
“The National Water Month campaign is aimed at educating the public about their responsibility in water conservation initiatives, raising awareness around the need to protect and conserve the country’s water resources.
“In the Western Cape in particular several outreach activities have been earmarked to observe the National Water Month. This includes among other things outreach to schools, seminars and project visits,” the department said in a statement.
Citrus farmer and exporter in the Eastern Cape, Khaya Katoo, said in recent months the water crisis has been a thing of the past, ” The dam near us, Kouga Dam, went to 100% in October last year. It stands at 90% now, so water at the moment is flowing nicely,” he said.
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