The president mentioned this during the State of the Nation Address (Sona) in the Cape Town city hall. 

In total, the government will spend more than R940 billion on infrastructure over the next three years. This funding will revitalise roads and bridges, build dams and waterways, modernise ports and airports and power the economy.

Quality drinking water

Through the Water Services Amendment Bill, a licensing system for water service providers will be introduced and where providers do not meet the standards for quality drinking water, licenses will be removed.

“I was very intrigued when he used the phrase that the whole idea was to silence guns forever on the African continent, but perhaps what the president forgets is that there are many guns in this country,” said Free State political analyst Prof. Sethulego Matebesi.

“Guns are blazing, and one of them is corruption, one of them is the dysfunctional municipalities and a host of other issues.“ 

For a province like the Free State, water provision is another, where it seems that every time it rains, municipalities encounter problems, he said.

Matebesi said it was further expected that the president would touch on the fallen soldiers in the DRC, acknowledging the role they have been playing.

OFM News previously reported that the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, has assured South Africans that water security remains stable as critical maintenance work continues on the LHWP.

Majodina conducted an oversight visit to the LHWP tunnel at Clarens, Free State, on Saturday, 1 February, and expressed satisfaction with the progress of the maintenance work and emphasised that sufficient water reserves have been secured to sustain the nation during the tunnel’s closure.

“As in the past, the president touched on almost all topics – too many to discuss quickly,” said North West economist Waldo Krugell. “He said the right things about the importance of skills in the public sector and service delivery, about infrastructure investment, education, health, housing, and so forth.”

“Some of the reforms that are underway were emphasised again, such as more innovative financing of infrastructure, the establishment of an electricity market, private sector participation in Transnet operations, and that the funding of municipal water and electricity services should be ring-fenced.”

“The president tried to find the middle ground, time will tell if this was enough to support more investor confidence and ultimately lead to more investment and growth, I can't shake the feeling that he missed the chance to turn over a new leaf,” Krugell said.

OFM News/Zenande Mpame cg