Premier

            The Department of Local Government informed me that:

1. Yes, After a prolonged drought that spanned across most of the Western Cape Province for a period over six (6) years, the people of the Western Cape faced the very real crisis of the potential impact of a day zero scenario. In the face of this potential catastrophe, Cabinet agreed to follow an integrated response towards crafting a unified and single approach where all governments, the private sector and other affected parties worked together in crafting a response.

The Department of Local Government was tasked with the responsibility to conceptualise and lead on this response after which the Drought Response Plan was adopted. This multi-faceted approach not only focussed on maximising current water sources, look for additional or new sources, limit wasting which speaks to engineering solutions, but time and effort was also spent on softer solutions specifically targeting at carrying the message, communication, and ultimately changing human behaviour. The successful implementation of this strategy saw that not a single town faced water shortages for a prolonged period of time.

The “softer approach” played a critical role in ensuring the success of this programme. Our extended communication team played an active role while the Department of Local Government’s team played a critical role in communicating this special message across all areas in the province. This team undertook the following initiatives:

• Annual National, Regional and Local Radio Campaigns
• Radio campaigns around school holidays addressing influx of tourists to Western Cape, urging them to use water responsibly
• Print Campaigns
• Activations in high-risk areas
• Social Media Campaigns
• SMS and
• Billboards along major routes

2. In addition to this “Responsible Water Use” awareness campaign, all municipalities are running their own water awareness campaigns around water restrictions, respective dam levels, consumption, and by-laws.