Statement by Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development

Statement by Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell. The average level for dams across the Western Cape for the week starting 26 March is 18.2% (2017: 25.6 %). Anton Bredell, the minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning in the Western Cape, has urged consumers in the City of Cape Town and other drought stricken Western Cape municipalities not to slow down their water savings efforts. “We are not out of the woods yet. The city’s announcements of Day Zero shifting out made earlier this year were made to keep the public as informed as possible about the ongoing water situation in the city. The shifting out of Day Zero is dependent on continued water savings. We must guard against complacency, given that water usage has crept up slowly over the past few days. We want to reiterate that the drought remains in full effect and consumers should keep saving as much water as possible.” Bredell says the province – with very few areas being the exception – continues to be in distress, in particular the agriculture sector. “The disaster management centre continues to manage the provincial response to the drought on a daily basis. We are working closely with our national colleagues in the National Disaster Management centre and the National Department of Water and Sanitation in monitoring and managing the situation moving forward.” Bredell will deliver his department’s budget speeches in the Western Cape Legislature tomorrow. The latest dam level data per the National Department of Water and Sanitation: ENDS.