'Rising' to the water crisis challenge: a dedicated manifesto.

Here's a first! Readers may recall the three pieces I wrote and which looked at the recognition of the environmental water crisis by some of our aspirant parliamentary contenders. The findings were all very tame and rather disappointing, with some minor exceptions.

Somewhat belatedly, but most certainly better late than never, Rise Mzansi have come to the party a week before Election Day with a manifesto supplement that is dedicated to the water challenges this country faces. I will evaluate it using the same set of six questions I used for the 10 parties that were previously evaluated.

The piece starts off with the statement that I have been making for years now, viz "South Africa’s water crisis is more severe than our electricity crisis. We can live without electricity, but we cannot live – let alone grow – without water". Not original but it is a very good sign when a political party makes such an admission right up front. This is part of the mindset change I have been on about.

Secondly, the environmental crisis of burgeoning, wastewater effluent-driven, water resource pollution, is another powerful admission needed to tie future goals to actions: "Our water system is increasingly polluted, due to a catastrophic breakdown of our country’s sewage [treatment] system[s]. According to the government’s own assessment, 64% of South Africa’s waste-water treatment works are at high or critical risk. This means that we are discharging a dangerously unacceptable volume of untreated sewage into our rivers every day".

Thirdly there is recognition of the urgent need for substantive interventions to be implemented: "Sewage will be properly treated before it returns to the water system... ...a future where almost no sewage is pumped into rivers, making them a lot cleaner.." "We are in a race against time. We must put into place a series of short term goals right now. If we do, we will reverse the water crisis within ten years". Yes and no. This would read better if the words "start to" was inserted before 'reverse'...

Then the vital need for replacing lost understanding and skillsets is noted by the undertaking to "Bring skilled water management professionals back into the system through solid mentorship programmes that are based on mutual respect and solidarity, that hold technical excellence and delivery as their lodestar". Wow, intimations of professional career prospects in the water resource governance industry! Someone has certainly been listening.

One of the public trust requirements in our water law requires that all licences be evaluated on a regular basis to make sure they are complying with their conditions. While this doesn't actually happen, the TMDL-approach I have suggested provides the basis to audit all licences within a specific catchment simultaneously. Rise Mzansi have recognised the need to "Review all authorised water use to ensure that social and ecological standards are respected and review overallocations in water-stressed catchment areas". Beneficial uses of water must be beneficial for the trust beneficiaries and the environment, and not simply seen as beneficial to the licence holder.

Back to that mindset change... a strong intimation of intent by Rise Mzansi is to "Launch a high-profile campaign and programme to change the South African people’s relationship with water to one of respect". They weave into this the cultural values of respect for water: "...water is sacred, in all our cultures and faiths. We come from it, and it cleans us not only physically, but spiritually too".

All in all a refreshing step in the right direction but it could have been a lot more steps - but it looks like it has been pruned severely from the original. But it's a good start.

So, to the questions:

Does the manifesto identify that:?

·????? a water crisis in exists in South Africa? Yes

·????? the nation is dependent on the health of its water resources? Yes

·????? water resources are public trust assets? Not directly but implied

·????? the water crisis extends to the condition of water resources themselves? Yes

·? inadequate wastewater treatment as a major threat? Yes

·????? practical and pragmatic solutions are needed? Yes

So, 5.5/6 Well done!