DeputyJack flew in a helicopter to see the polluted rivers that poison the Hartebeespoort Dam - check out how bad the hyacinth is in this dam which should be a recreational and tourism magnet.

DeputyJack was with officials who laid CRIMINAL CHARGES against Ekurhuleni for discharging pollution into the Rietvlei Dam. The Rietvlei treatment plant used to supply water to Tshwane, but was shut down a year ago because the dam water has too much ammonia. See full story here: bit.ly/3UaMleC

DeputyJack visited the Klerksdorp Wastewater Treatment Plant, it hasn’t been working for 3 years and spews sewage into the Schoonspruit which flows into the Vaal river. I’m following up on the criminal pollution charges laid in February this year, and what needs to be done to fix it!

I was fascinated to see so many household rain-harvesting systems in rural Eastern Cape. We need to encourage this in the cities as well with tax incentives such as those for household solar which eased our electricity shortage.

DeputyJack is in rural Transkei looking at progress with the Mzimvubu Water Project to create the 7th largest dam in South Africa. Where I’m standing will be completely under water!

Here is my third Mission Report since I became Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation. My mission is Clean Water and Dignified Sanitation.   I visited three provinces, learnt a lot about agriculture, got outraged by pollution, and intervened with water problems. These are the highlights of what I’ve done in September: bit.ly/4dKdvQ2

Ermelo Braces For Another Day Zero A warning of an acute water shortage within months comes as El Niño threatens rainfall and pollution limits the town's options mg.co.za/the-green-guardian/…

DeputyJack was at the Official Opening of the Boating Season on the Vaal River. Rosemary of FEDHASA says 1000s of jobs will be created if we STOP THE POLLUTION of this river.

“Water is life, sanitation is dignity. This has been the Department’s mission since the previous Framework in 2003. The new Framework aims to narrow the gap between that promise and the daily reality of many South Africans." – I spoke today at a workshop in eThekwini on the new Strategic Framework for Water and Sanitation Services.

DeputyJack spoke to Esme and Alyssa outside the Crown Gardens reservoir in south Johannesburg. They are so frustrated not to have water despite living near the reservoir!

The reality of El Niño is facing us: Ermelo faces urgent Day Zero water shortage warning citizen.co.za/highvelder-new…

DeputyJack was in Ermelo to identity the source of the pollution that flows into the Vaal River. The white fluff in this stream is from ammonia, and there’s also E. Coli - Jacob Durr explains how it poisons his farm which he would like to expand with extra workers.

My speech at the NAMPO Agricultural Exhibition highlighted that Gauteng’s annual water waste equals the total amount of water used every year by the Western Cape. farmersweekly.co.za/agri-new…

DeputyJack has left the NAMPO Expo at Bredasdorp after stimulating discussions with farmers and agricultural experts. We need partnerships that can find the opportunity in the problem, such as making low-cost fertiliser from wastewater!

Day 2 for DeputyJack at the NAMPO Expo in Bredasdorp - I addressed young farmers on how fertiliser and biogas can be extracted from wastewater sludge, held meetings with agriculture heavyweights, and educated myself at the many exhibits.

DeputyJack is attending the NAMPO Expo in Bredasdorp. Hydroponic farming can use up to 90 - 95% less water than traditional soil-based farming by recycling water and nutrients in a closed-loop system and delivering water directly to plant roots. For a water-scarce country like South Africa, innovation in agriculture is no longer an option, it’s a necessity. We need to rethink how we farm, producing more food while using less water and fewer resources. The future of farming is about growing smarter, using less, and making every drop count.

This was a small leak in Highlands North that Joburg Water tried to fix a week ago, now it’s a gaping pool! DeputyJack talks to Clr Belinda about the traffic danger for kids at the nearby primary school.