By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Deputy president David Mabuza said on Wednesday he believed that no amount of condemnation or side-taking would resolve the raging war between Ukraine and Russia.
“Diplomacy remains the key tool at our disposal to end the war and persuade parties to deliver peace and stability,” he said.
Mabuza was responding, during a virtual sitting of the national council of provinces (NCOP), to questions relating to various issues including SA’s decision to abstain during a recent UN General Assembly vote.
In his first appearance at the NCOP this year since the opening of parliament, Mabuza said: “The president took a call from [Russian President] Vladimir Putin … in which he expressed our support for ongoing negotiation efforts between Russia and Ukraine. We believe that diplomacy is always the sensible pathway in averting outbreak of conflict and war. It should be pursued even when we are in a situation of war, so that we can end it and engage in a post-conflict reconstruction measures.”
Mabuza said SA continued to call for the de-escalation of conflict, cessation of hostilities and for parties to work together towards building trust and confidence by intensifying existing peace mechanisms and dialogues to achieve long-lasting solutions to the conflict.
SA, he said, emphasised the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.
“As a nation born through negotiations ourselves, we are always appreciative and confident of the potential that dialogue has in resolving conflict. Therefore we call upon the parties to devote increased efforts to diplomacy and finding a solution that will help avert the escalations of positions.”
Mabuza said SA would continue to support peaceful and diplomatic negotiations as an essential tool to achieve peace.
Economic recovery plan being implemented in all spheres of government
Mabuza says government’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan is being implemented across all spheres of government and at its entities.
“In line with the Intergovernmental Relations Framework that is implemented through the President’s Coordinating Council and Makgotla, the President continues to bring all spheres of government together to make South Africa a better place.
“We thus confirm that the implementation of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan is being coordinated across all spheres of government,” he said.
Mabuza said that at the level of national government, the implementation of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan is coordinated by the Ministerial Economic Sectors, Investment, Employment and Infrastructure Development Cluster.
He said this was done to ensure uniformity and consistency in its implementation across all provinces and state-owned entities.
“Where gaps are identified in the implementation process, the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation has facilitated a number of engagements across government and state entities, and is working with relevant stakeholders to ensure closer alignment in this regard.”
Mabuza said there are also ongoing assessments of national and provincial government’s contribution to the achievement of the plan’s interventions, as well as the spatial location of projects that are outlined in the plan based on Annual Performance Plans of government departments.
Calls for calm amid tensions between locals, foreign nationals
Mabuza has called for calm and restraint following recent outbreaks of protests against foreign nationals.
The Deputy President, who called for the adherence to the rule of law, was responding to oral questions in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on Wednesday.
“The Department of Home Affairs has a legal mandate to deal with concerns relating to undocumented foreign nationals. That is why we discourage any anti-foreigner sentiments and the destruction of property associated with these protests and related activities.
“This includes protests and marches that engender violence directed at foreign businesses and undocumented foreign workers.
“Whilst concerns raised may be legitimate, they must be raised and attended to within the law. We call for calm, restraint, and adherence to lawful means from all parties who are involved in the on-going confrontations, “he said.
Calls for municipalities to uphold the quality of drinking water
Mabuza has called on municipalities to ensure that the quality of drinking water remains compliant with minimum standards.
“We take this opportunity to urge municipalities to continue with ensuring that our country’s drinking water remains compliant with the set standards, while also fast-tracking efforts of improving the levels of access to water.
“With all these measures in place, we should not worry about the possibility of contamination of our drinking water, “he said.
In addressing the decline in water quality, the Deputy President had been asked by the ANC’s Eastern Cape delegate, Nokuzola Ndongeni, if government has engaged the Water and Sanitation Department on the growing concerns surrounding the quality of water.
Mabuza said the department has confirmed that the country’s water quality remains compliant with the minimum standards for drinking water, as specified by the South African National Standards.
He said this has been further confirmed in the recent announcement by the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) on reported cases of typhoid in different municipalities in parts of the country.
“The NICD has clarified that the detection of typhoid, between December 2021 and February of this year, was not linked to contaminated municipal water.
“Whereas there were reported cases of typhoid in the North West, Western Cape and Eastern Cape, the quality of water in these areas was found to be compliant with the national drinking water standards.”
The Deputy President said as an ongoing measure, the Department of Water and Sanitation will continue to monitor the processes that Water Services Authorities implement, and it will engage them where non-compliance is detected.
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