Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 29-10-2019
One of South Africa’s leading water specialists says the current water shortage in the country is dire.
Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has assured South Africans that although the country’s water challenges are serious, there is no need to panic.
Sisulu held a briefing to update South Africans on water challenges the country is facing, saying that the country could avoid water shedding as a nation only if water is used sparingly.
Sisulu stated that climate change is affecting South Africa, while reiterating what the South African Weather Service has reported, that the earliest that any significant rainfall could be expected, is only in December.
Water specialists, Dr Anthony Turton says while South Africa is in a water crisis, there is no need to panic.
“The minister’s correct. It doesn’t help to panic at this stage and it certainly doesn’t help to point fingers and blame.”
Turton says Sisulu inherited a department that was completely gutted by Nomvula Mokhonyane.
“So the department itself is in dire straits and whether the department has the ability with its current technical internal capacity to deal with these complex issues, I don’t know.”
Turton says a good initiative Sisulu referred to resolve the water crisis involves a partnership between private sector interests and the state.
Listen to the interview with Dr. Anthony Turton
0 Comments