AgriSA meets to consider proposed raw water tariff increase

To: All Affiliated Members On 31 July 2024, AgriSA’s National Resources of Centre Excellence management committee met with the leadership of the South African Association of Water Users’ Associations (SAAFWUA) in Jacobsdal (Free State) in preparation for the annual sector-specific raw water tariff consultations which will be taking place in Pretoria later this month. The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) each year conducts consultations across the country to discuss proposed increases in raw water tariffs for the upcoming financial year. The various regional consultations culminate in a final sector-specific consultation during which event the inputs and submissions from the various regions (catchment management areas) are presented. The consultations also serve as important events during which government engages with the agricultural sector on issues of mutual concern with respect to water governance and management. Water is the lifeblood of agriculture. The sector utilises approximately 63% of available water resources to ensure food security for South Africa and its neighbouring countries. AgriSA supports the existing National Water Act and calls on government to implement and enforce the Act to its fullest extent. We particularly call on national government to ensure that it exercises its custodianship role with the utmost diligence by: Ensuring an enabling and transparent governance structure with respect to the allocation of water use entitlements as well as rational pricing of raw water to ensure sustainable and economically viable agricultural production; andEnforcement of the provisions of the National Water Act and all other environmental laws against illegal water uses and contamination of water (particularly from municipal wastewater treatment facilities. AgriSA calls on the Minister of Agriculture and his counterpart in the Department of Water and Sanitation to work together in addressing the farming sectors’ serious concerns in this regard.
EnquiriesJanse Rabie, Natural Resourcesjanse@agrisa.org.za