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Political interference hampering Blue Scorpions, MPs told
By Richard Davies
PARLIAMENT -Political interference is hampering the work of the so-called Blue Scorpions, the department of water affairs’ unit tasked with clamping down on illegal bulk water use in South Africa.
Briefing Parliament’s water affairs and forestry portfolio committee on Wednesday, the compliance, monitoring and enforcement unit’s head, Nigel Adams, said one of the politicians involved -- whom he did not name -- saw himself as “untouchable”.
He told MPs his unit’s national office was currently dealing with 500 major cases of illegal water usage, and there were others being dealt with at provincial level.
The Blue Scorpions are responsible for stopping the illegal abstraction of water from South Africa’s rivers, dams and aquifers by landowners and others. Much of their monitoring is done by means of aerial surveillance, by satellite, aeroplane or helicopter.
“In the Western Cape, we've got about 20 cases that I'm investigating... We use the (police’s) organised crime unit to assist us. People are using their influence. They even approached our minister (Lindiwe Hendricks). They even bring members of Parliament to meetings.”
Adams said many land owners and farmers, when confronted about their illegal water use, turned to high-ranking officials and MPs for help, but vowed this would not deter his unit.
“What we say is, if you overstep the law, we'll go the full route.”
According to a document distributed by Adams at the meeting, his unit is investigating 20 cases of illegal borehole and dam construction in the Berg, Olifants and Doring water management area of the province.
He also referred to a “very sensitive” case in Mpumalanga.
“We're busy with verification and validation. There’s a very sensitive case... where, also, a highly (placed) politician is involved, and he even tore up our directive (issued by the unit to a land owner, and directing them to cease their illegal water-use).
“The police are scared of him; he says he’s untouchable. I will show him who can be touched,” Adams said, drawing laughs from committee members.
Later in the briefing, responding to questions from members, he defined political interference as “where politicians influence... the outcome of the case”. He did not elaborate any further, and did not name any of the politicians he said were involved.
Adams also referred to corrupt officials within the department, who were involved in, or condoned, illegal water use, saying this extended “from the highest to the lowest”.
He cited cases from the Free State.
“We've got 32 irrigators (on the province’s Sand and Vet rivers) cultivating (illegally) on state land. I'm still busy with the investigation where... we've even got department of water affairs officials who we inspect are involved.
“Our workers get low salaries, and are open to bribery.”
Adams said his unit was very small, and focused on “over-extreme cases” only. Among its difficulties were a lack of legal experts, not enough funds, and a lack of awareness among water users that their abstraction of water had to be licensed.
He briefed members on some of his unit’s recent activities, which included the demolition of illegally-built dams, and the capping of illegally-drilled boreholes.
There had been a significant increase in unlawful water use in South Africa recently, and, Adams warned, his unit would be “very fierce and hard” when it struck at offenders. – Sapa.
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