Mozambique’s rivers all originate elsewhere — and by the time they get to the drought-ravaged country, they are almost useless. Justin Arenstein reports
Mozambican goodwill towards South Africa is drying up –with a growing clamour that South Africa is responsible for that country’s increasingly parched crops and dwindling rivers.
Not even a flying visit to Maputo late last week by South Africa’s water guru, Kader Asmal, is expected to satisfy Mozambique’s increasingly militant agriculturalists, who are convinced that South Africa is over-utilising a limited resource.
The growing outrage in southern Mozambique stems from the fact that Mozambique has been forced to rely on its rivers for water because of its severely under-developed water infrastructure.
None of these rivers, however, originate within the country and all are heavily utilised by neighbouring countries such as South Africa, Zimbabwe and Swaziland before entering Mozambique. After three years without any significant rains, Mozambique’s rivers are drying up.
Mozambican government authorities contend that a number of South African dams on the Injaka and Inkomati rivers in Mpumalanga and the increased agricultural use of the Olifants and Crocodile rivers have aggravated this situation to the point where many of Mozambique’s once major waterways have ceased to flow.
Asmal was attempting to address this growing dissatisfaction when he flew to Maputo last week for an urgent one-day meeting with his counterparts there.
”Yes, South Africa is very aware that the Mozambicans are unhappy about the quantity of water reaching them. In fact, the Mozambicans were so unhappy that they declined to sign a proposed Memorandum of Understanding — they called it a ‘feel-good document’,” said Peter van Niekerk, Asmal’s chief engineer for project planning and a delegation member.
”Instead, they immediately signed a draft document calling for the creation of a joint water commission between our two countries. This is much more than we had expected or hoped for and, as a result, a formal treaty between South Africa and Mozambique is scheduled to be signed in early November — after the two countries’ Cabinets approve the document, of course.”
Acknowledging that the proposed treaty won’t bring any dramatic or other gains for either Mozambique or South Africa in the short term, Van Niekerk explained that ”the present drought is so severe that we don’t have the capacity to supply Mozambique with much more water than it’s currently getting.
”But what we’re actually doing is laying the framework for 10 to 15 years from now. This agreement will be the keystone for similar treaties throughout the sub-continent.”
Although no formal complaint has yet been lodged with South African authorities, it is also hoped that Asmal’s visit will quash grumblings for a World Court lawsuit against South Africa for allegedly violating international water conventions.
”We’ve informed the South Africans that we don’t agree with unilateral decisions to build dams on international rivers such as the Sabie River,” explains Mozambican National Water Board Director Luis Elias.
”We depend on the rivers that flow from neighbouring countries, but if we don’t like their decisions what can we do?” asks southern Mozambique’s Regional Director for Water Affairs, Issufo Cautamia. ”We can’t just go and knock the dams down.”
Although the threatened legal action is seen as nothing more than a political lever to impress the South Africans with Mozambique’s seriousness, the threat itself could seriously harm South Africa’s image both within the sub-continent and in the Organisation for African Unity (OAU). South Africa has repeatedly tried to emphasise that although it is a regional superpower, it will not bully its neighbours.
Declining to comment on a possible meeting between Minister Asmal and his regional counterparts to establish non-riparian rights to water systems for all the countries within the sub-continent, South Africa’s Director of Legal Services for Water Affairs, Willem Labuschagne, would only say that ”non- riparian rights are on the cards. But there is no concrete framework for this yet and only long negotiating will produce such a framework.”
Labuschagne also dismissed hopes for ”quick fix” solutions to water shortages via exchange programmes with countries such as Zambia and Zaire which have abundant water.
”Water exchange schemes with such countries is just talk at the moment,” he said.
”Water supplies to Mozambique should increase, though, when programmes such as the eradication of exotic trees along water courses in South Africa begin to have an effect. These plants can consume up to 30 percent of river- borne water.”
Labuschagne also added that the entire body of South African water legislation is presently being reviewed, including farmer’s riparian rights to water that flows through their property.
”This process allows for public participation and good suggestions will definitely not be ignored,” he said.
* Submissions can be sent to Dr Kader Asmal, Minister of Water and Forestry Affairs, Private Bag X9052, Cape Town, 8000.