Address by President Jacob Zuma, during the occasion of the launching of the Spring Grove Dam in Rosetta, Mooi River, KwaZulu-Natal

The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal Mr Senzo Mchunu,

Acting Ministerof Water Affairs and Forestry, Mr Nathi Mthethwa,

MECs,Mayors and councillors,

Chairpersonsand CEOs of state owned entities,

Amakhosi,

Religiousleaders

U Mphakathiwonke,

Siyanibingelelanonke mphakathi wase Mooi River namaphethelo.

Sijabula kakhulu ukubanani, namhlanje sizovulalelidamu elizoletha intuthuko, ikakhulukazi amanzi ngoba ayingqalasizinda edingeka kakhulu.

Amanzi abalulekekakhulu ezimpilweni zabantu kanye nasekuthuthukiseni umnotho wezwe.

Ngakho-kesijabulakakhulu ukuzovula lelidamu namhlanje elizokwandisaukutholakala kwamanzi emphakathini waseMpofana, uMgungundlovu namaphethelo kuzekuyofikaeThekwini.

Our presence heretoday is part of our national infrastructure roll out plan.

Government hastaken a decision to prioritise infrastructure development as this is the foundationof socio-economic development.  It isdesigned to help us create jobs and also to change the quality of life andboost the economy.

We established thePresidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission chaired by the President,which oversees all infrastructure development in the country and ensures thatblockages are unlocked timeously.

Through ournational infrastructure plan we are building dams, bridges, roads, refurbishingschools, hospitals, ports and airports and also building power stations toboost electricity supply. It is an exciting programme which is changing theface of the country.

I have beenvisiting many provinces in the past few weeks officially opening infrastructureprojects.

We have openedGrootvlei Power Station in Balfour, automotive wagons in Port Elizabeth, theR71 and R81 roads in Limpopo among a few and the programme continues. This weekwe will visit Umthatha to open energy projects and also inspect progress beingmade at the Umthatha airport and other projects.

We are really happywith the progress being made.

Other big projectswe have begun includes the building of two brand new universities in Mpumalangaand Northern Cape provinces and also the building of 12 Further Education andTraining Colleges. All these projects contribute to building a better life forour people.

Today our focus is on expanding water supply.

When this democratic government came intopower in 1994, the majority of our people did not have access to water.  Water is a basic necessity and a basic humanright. This is why this government prioritises the provision of waterthroughout the country to our people, especially to the poor who have beenmarginalised by successive apartheid regimes.

Sino somquluwentuthuko yezwe obizwa nge-National Development Plan, obalula ukuthi izwelethukufanele libe selinjani ngonyaka ka2030. Losomqulu uthiyonke imizi eNingizimuAfrica mayibe namanzi ahlanzekile ngonyaka ka-2030.

Konke esikwenzayomanje siphokophelele ekufezeni leyonjongo kanye nezinye izidingo zomphakathi.

In the past 19 years we have worked very hardto bring water to all, especially remote areas.

We are happy that millions more SouthAfricans now have access to clean drinking water which they did not have before1994.

Even as we continue on this successful pathof delivery, we know that many of our people still do not have water due to thelegacy of our past, where they were not catered for and were never a priorityof the apartheid government.

It is for this reason that we are hard atwork to make sure that those who are still waiting, obtain clean drinkingwater, like everyone else, faster.

Therefore, programmes such as this SpringGrove Dam are designed to contribute to expanding water supply.

Due to economic and population growth,urbanisation and other factors, the growth in water demand as well as thedrought since 2003 made it necessary for government to build more dams.

We have built Spring Grove dam in Mooi Riverand De Hoop Dam in Sekhukhune in Limpopo. I will be opening De Hoop Dam laterthis month.

The Spring GroveDam or Mooi Mngeni Water Scheme supplies water to six municipalities, namelyeThekwini Metropolitan, uMgungundlovu District, Msunduzi Local, Ugu Local,Sisonke and iLembe Local Municipalities.

Government hasinvested more than 1 billion rand into the project.The infrastructure programmeis also designed to create jobs.

I am glad thatduring the course of the construction of this very important piece ofinfrastructure, a total of 960 people were employed in this project.

One issue I wish toraise with our communities is that these infrastructure developments are ourcollective responsibility.

They belong to allof us and we should guard them jealously.

We should not allowthem to be vandalised or uncared for. We must consider and remember that ifthey do not function or are destroyed we cannot get the necessary services.

Also important,with regards to water infrastructure in particular, is to remember that SouthAfrica remains one of the thirty driest countries in the world.

Even as we continueto raise the numbers of those accessing potable water, we need to remember thatevery drop counts. We must therefore save water.

Not a drop must bewasted, not a drop must be polluted, and all infrastructure developed must becared for. Water is Life. Let us conserve it, respect it and enjoy it.

Sijabule kakhulu ukubanani mphakathi waseMooi River namhlanje, ukuzoletha intuthuko.

I thank you.