S.P. Botha, Minister of Water Affairs, proposes new schemes to ease the Western Cape’s water supply problem

Updated: 4 Mar 2022

S.P. Botha, Minister of Water Affairs, proposes new schemes to ease the Western Cape's water supply problem During his opening of the Cape Show on 4 March 1970, Minister of Water Affairs S.P. Botha said that several water projects such as the Voelvlei Dam were undertaken and new schemes like Riversonderend-Berg River Project were to be started to ease the Western Cape's water supply problem. Botha said "It is however, already clear that many supplementary schemes will have to be tackled long before the end of this century in order to store the water, distribute and use it more efficiently." Four decades from the day Botha made his statement, a worse drought struck the Central Karoo town of Beaufort West in the Western Cape. The drought forced inhabitants to produce millions of litters of recycled sewage water a day. The Beaufort West's major water reservoir, Gamka Dam remained dry. The incident led the City of Cape Town into partnering with Henred - SA Roadtankers, a local company based in Bellville that manufactures water tankers. They collectively transported 150 000 litres of potable water to Beaufort West on 15 December 2010.

How we know this

01Anon, (1970), 'Botha on Western Cape Water Problems' from The Cape Times, 5 March 1970, (Available at National Library of South Africa, Cape Town Campus) pg 1.
02Anon, (2010), 'City Teams up with Local Company to Transport Water to Beaufort West' ,From: Cape Gate Way, 15 December 2010, [online], Available at www.capegateway.gov.za [Accessed: 7 February 2011]
03Anon, (2010), 'Beaufort West residents to get recycled water' ,From: South African Weather Services, 3 January 2011, [online] Available at saweatherobserver.blogspot.com [Accessed: 7 February 2011]

Last updated · 4 Mar 2022

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2011, March 16). S.P. Botha, Minister of Water Affairs, proposes new schemes to ease the Western Cape’s water supply problem. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012142

South African History Online (2011) 'S.P. Botha, Minister of Water Affairs, proposes new schemes to ease the Western Cape’s water supply problem', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012142 (Accessed: 22 October 2026).

South African History Online, S.P. Botha, Minister of Water Affairs, proposes new schemes to ease the Western Cape’s water supply problem [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012142, (accessed 22 October 2026).

"S.P. Botha, Minister of Water Affairs, proposes new schemes to ease the Western Cape’s water supply problem." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012142. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

South African History Online. "S.P. Botha, Minister of Water Affairs, proposes new schemes to ease the Western Cape’s water supply problem." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0012142.