Volume II - The Northern Cape Provincial Spatial Development ...

Northern Cape PSDF
Volume 2
Office of the Premier &
Department of Rural Development & Land Reform
103
December 2011
Water demand management is meant to be strategy that stresses making better use of water
already available due to a reduction in physical and/or economic waste. The need for water
demand management (WDM) is essential and should enjoy a high priority, and the needs must be
balanced with efficiency and sustainability objectives. All districts in the Northern Cape have
settlements with great water shortages that could be addressed through regional bulk water
schemes (DWAF, 2008):
a) In the John Taolo Gatesewe district, Joe Morolong municipality experiences water
problems.
b) In the Frances Baard district, only Holpan is known to have a shortage of water.
c) In the Namaqua district, the water resources challenges exist in the Kamiesberg
Municipality as well in Port Nolloth, Witbank and in Calvinia.
d) Siyanda district has several communities with water problems, especially Kenhardt, Mier
and Riemvasmaak.
e) In the Pixley ka Seme district several communities are experiencing water problems, and
most towns rely on groundwater. Providing water to these communities will affect the
neighbouring communities’ water supply and hence challenges are investigated in an
integrated approach.
E.3.4 SERVICE STANDARDS: TELECOMMUNICATIONS
South Africa’s telecommunications network is the largest and most developed in Africa, and ranks
ahead of countries such as China, Italy and India as stated in the World Economic Forum’s Global
Technology Report 2007/08. A reliable and cost‐effective telecommunications sector is vital for
economic growth. According to a report published in 2007 by the Human Sciences Research
Council, the Northern Cape registered only slightly below the national average in terms of the
general population’s access to landlines.
One in five (22.4%) of households in the Northern Cape were found to have landline access,
compared to the 23.1% of South Africa’s average. This places the Northern Cape ahead of the
North West, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape. These figures are higher in the urban
regions of the province, with Kimberley for example, mentioned alongside Cape Town,
Johannesburg and Durban for its higher concentration of households with access to a landline,
superior infrastructure and service options (Northern Cape Business, 2011).
In the rural communities access is low, with households and individuals primarily relying on mobile
phones for their telecommunications needs. Telkom remains the primary fixed‐line
communications provider in South Africa and in the Northern Cape. Vodacom remains the market
leader in mobile phones, followed by MTN and Cell C. In the Northern Cape, approximately 61.8%
of households have access to a mobile phone (Northern Cape Business, 2011). Household access
to telecommunication facilities is summarised by the table below:
Table E.34: Percentage of household access to telecommunication facilities per district (Source:
Community Survey, 2007 as cited in the PGDS).
AREA ACCESS TO CELL ACCESS TO ACCESS TO TELEPHONE
PHONE
INTERNET
Northern Cape 61.8% 5.4% 22.4%
John Taolo Gaetsewe 70.3% 2.8% 10.2%
Dennis Moss Partnership