Premier calls for WC drought aid
21 January 2005
Western Cape premier Ebrahim Rasool has urged farmers "not to panic" about the dire water shortage the province faces.
He will be approaching President Thabo Mbeki, asking him to declare the parts of the drought-stricken region disaster areas. This would allow him to allocate R26-million in relief supplies to farmers, enough to cover costs until June.
Rasool, speaking at a press conference in Langa on Wednesday, warned that the jobs of about 6 000 farm workers were at risk.
The province has been hit by a series of disasters linked to the continuing hot and dry weather. A fire in the Joe Slovo informal settlement last week left an estimated 12 000 people without shelter.
Rasool called his provincial cabinet a "FFD cabinet", referring to "fires, floods and drought".
Drought conditions in the province led to harsh water restrictions being imposed in October 2004. News24 reports that 20 additional water inspectors have been
deployed this year, bringing the total number to 36 in the Cape Town metropole.
Since the introduction of restrictions, 26 offenders have been fined R1 000 each and 130 cautions have been issued.
Although Johannesburg and eastern parts of the country have experienced far more rain than usual in January, most of the western half of the country is experiencing a prolonged drought.
Water Affairs and Forestry Minister Buyelwa Sonjica says that while some parts of the country appear green, "that does not reflect a true picture of our country's water situation at present".
In a statement on Wednesday, she said that dams in the Western Cape were currently standing at only 42.4% of their capacity, and called on everyone to use water sparingly.
"Dripping taps and the unnecessary and extended use of hosepipes and sprinklers are taxing on our current water situation. Adhering to water restrictions that have been imposed is critical", she said.
Meanwhile,
the South African Weather Service has issued a warning for 20 January 2005, predicting heavy rainfall in many of the Western Cape agricultural areas affected by drought.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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