JOHANNESBURG, Feb. 27 — South Africa is stepping up efforts to tackle the country’s water crisis, with the government establishing a high-level committee to oversee the implementation of a comprehensive Water Action Plan, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said Thursday. Speaking at a media briefing in Pretoria, South Africa‘s administrative capital, Ntshavheni said SouthAfrican President Cyril Ramaphosa will chair the Water Crisis Committee, which has been set up to address ongoing water supply challenges. “The Water Crisis Committee will finalize a Water Action Plan that will focus on short, medium and long-term interventions required to get water flowing from the taps,” the minister said. She added that the minister of water and sanitation has approved a water use license allowing the relevant water agency to draw additional water from the Integrated Vaal River System for a period of three months, in a bid to stabilize reservoir levels in Gauteng. The supply crisis dates back to January, when pump station breakdowns and a major pipeline burst disrupted bulk water delivery. Although bulk supply capacity has since been restored, municipal distribution systems in Johannesburg remain under pressure. Erratic water supply in areas such as Midrand and Brixton has triggered public dissatisfaction and protests.
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