Kobus JoosteResearch Unit

Information Services Section20 April 2012

2012 Strategic and Annual Performance Plan Briefing

Ministry of Water and Environmental Affairs

Overview of concerns

• Vacancy rates within both the Department of Water Affairs as well as Department of Environmental Affairs

• Modest allocations to programmes that are very important to future environmental management in south Africa

• Funding for critical service delivery and maintenance capacity lacking or complicated by inter-agency allocations and transfers

• No contingency funds for rapid response to deal with pressing concerns

• Inefficiencies leading to project delays and budget under-spending / wastage

Vacancy rates

• Roughly 24% in Department of Water Affairs

• Roughly 20% in Department of Environmental Affairs

• Key functions outsourced to consultants– Some EIA responsibilities

– Large and Mega project design and planning

• Lack of capacity within Departments leading to project delays and expensive errors– Duration from planning to completion of water

infrastructure projects

– Maintenance of water infrastructure

Vacancy rates: DWA

Modest annual budget increases

• Budget allocation for DWA indicates a -2.7% inflation adjusted cumulative growth rate

• DWA: Infrastructure, services and demand management costs over the next decade will be R573bn, of which less than 50% has been budgeted for.

• Many massive bulk infrastructure developments required to reach Government targets for basic water and sanitary services infrastructure over medium term.

• Funding required for infrastructure maintenance: Very difficult to determine from budget documents if adequate provision has been made.

Modest annual budget increases

Modest annual budget increases

• Budget allocation better for DEA, with a 10.9% inflation adjusted cumulative growth rate

Modest annual budget increases

• Bulk of Transfers going to EPWP – thus questions arise about the viability of other 5 programmes

DWA service delivery and infrastructure maintenance

• Over 80% of budget allocation targeting potable water infrastructure development

• Municipal grant allocations need to be carefully interrogated to determine if sufficient infrastructure management funding is available.

Potential DEA budget shortfalls

• Budget allocation for Climate Change programme reduced: Questions arise about the implementability of policy directives in the Climate Change White Paper

• Green Climate fund: No specific budget allocation for the fund thus it will become a burden to Treasury if specific allocations such as levies and carbon taxes are not ring-fenced for the Fund

• Lack of contingency funding: No contingency funding available for rapid response to a large scale environmental threat such as the current Rhino poaching problem.

Potential questions to Ministry

• The number of vacancies in key posts. Project delay and consultant-based design and planning add costs to the Department’s operations.

• The need to resolve the strategy and role players required to effectively deal with Acid Mine Drainage (AMD).

• Current planning and spending in terms of water and waste water development and maintenance in the budget compared to Departmental statements regarding expected costs differ greatly. This issue need to be resolved rapidly.

Potential questions to Ministry• Where are the current service delivery backlogs located and how will this be

resolved.• In terms of water infrastructure delivery to rural areas, what alternatives

(water harvesting, pumping from rivers) have been investigated and could any alternative be feasible?

• How does the DEA propose to deliver on their constitutional mandate in light of the declining budget allocation to the Environmental Quality and Protection; Oceans and Coasts; Climate Change; and Biodiversity and Conservation programmes.  

Potential questions to Ministry

• The continued budget cuts to the South African National Parks sub-programme is a matter of great concern, particularly in light of the scourge in wildlife poaching activities.

• Parliament should seek clarity on how the Green Fund would be raised.

• Parliament should ask the Department of Environmental Affairs on where the anti-poaching budget comes from, especially when SANDF is used.

• The current format of the Vote presentation makes it very difficult to ascertain whether sufficient funding is being made available for infrastructure maintenance. Clarity is needed on the budgeting and responsibility for infrastructure maintenance.