Water for Gauteng
At a strategic study of the Joburg Metro in 2015 Cofesa’s team predicted a water crisis and urged government to bring water from the north to the Joburg Metro. We saw the opportunity to also bring trade and tourism to the Metro. This concept was published in NEPAD’S yearbook as ‘Trans Africa Waterway’ .
National water crisis
Declaring the drought situation as a national disaster has brought it under the jurisdiction of central government and enables the Presidency to act decisively.
To provide the Cape with sustainable, clean and affordable water will change the lives of 4 million people.
For the north statistical data recorded a 50% decline in rainfall for Limpopo. Normal rainfall for Nov to Jan in the past was 400mm. During the last three years it declined to an average of only 221mm, according to Mr Johann Boonzaaier (‘Landbouweekblad’: 30 March 2018 p25).
The present crisis was predicted in the “REPORT of the COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY into WATER MATTERS, R.P. 34/1970” . Unforeseen climate change and immigration have made it even worse since then. Dr Lawrence McCrystal, Chairman of Cofesa, contributed to this report and emphasised the need to bring water from the north to Gauteng. A copy of the report has been sent to the Parliamentary Committee charged with making recommendations to the government.
Need of affordable water to compete against farmers with abundant water supply
Bringing affordable water from the north will enable the Department of Agriculture to make 500 000 hectares of land available for emergent farmers. It will also provide affordable channelled water for irrigation. This will enable our farmers to compete against producers elsewhere in Africa where water is in abundance.
2018: Cape water crisis: Project Rainy Day- Additional Water for the Western Cape Region
When the water crisis in the Cape worsened, Mr Rein Dijkstra and Pieter Jordaan, engineers specialising in mega infrastructure projects in Africa researched various alternatives (adding desalination plants, taking water from the underground aquafers, and imposing stringent measures to reduce water consumption).
They found that supplementary water from the Orange River would guarantee permanent, sufficient and affordable water to sustain the Cape. Mr Dijkstra conceived ‘Project Rainy Day’ to bring only 7% of the Orange River water, now flowing into the sea, to sufficiently supply Cape Town (4%) and agriculture (3%) with high quality, low cost water.
Cost, funding and ripple effects: “Two matters we are sure off: the idea is energy positive and the water will cost less than desalinated water. The project will attract private sector funding and create jobs”- Mr Dijkstra said.
Our construction and engineering sector has spare capacity and private investors and funders are eager for mega projects, such as this, thereby stimulating the regional economy.
As the project will be privately funded it will not drain government’s already strained funds.
Invitation
We invite you to vote on our website www.cofesa.co.za in support of our participation of the “Water War Room” initiative of the Gauteng government.
Your vote matters and will be registered on our vote meter.
Adv Hein van der Walt, DIRECTOR, Cofesa
Dr Lawrence McCrystal, CHAIRMAN (011 465 0435)
In association with: Mr Willie van der Schyf, executive member of the Randburg Chamber of Trade and Industry, and
Mr Rein Dijkstra (072 267 7802) and Mr Piet Jordaan.
* Great Man-Made ‘River’ – Wikipedia
Please click on the link to see the 2 800km water pipeline that the Gaddafi Government started in 1983 and completed in a few years.
