This is according to Sputnik Ratau, spokesperson of the department, saying this intention follows the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his state of the nation address earlier this year. Ramaphosa raised his concern about the long period it takes to process water use licences. He then urged the department to revisit legislation and see how the time spent on processing these licences, can be reduced. OFM News' Christal-Lize Muller spoke to Ratau...

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He says current regulation, utilised per the National Water Act, entails a period of 300 days to process applications. It is an operation that have been used for quite some time. Ratau says the department is aware of a number of applicants that have been frustrated by the length of time it takes the department to finalise these applications. This extended application process was not encouraging for new entrants to the sector. Even with other sectors of the economy, the length of time that it took could have been an impediment because by the time the process of a licence  application is finalised some investors could have moved on to other areas of the economy or even invest outside the country. This is because the process is too tedious and too long.  

Ratau says these licences do not require an annual application, but it is issued for as long as a business is operated or an activity takes place. A licence will then be relevant for that period of time. He is also confidant that the department can, by re-looking and evaluating its operations, be able to achieve its goal of 90 days. 

He is of the opinion that in the case where an application has been assessed, a decision can be made within 82 days and the final step would take about four days. This also includes post administration of the decision, whether it is a rejection of the letter of the application or whether there is a successful issuing of a licence. Ratau says that will also include the relevant communication to the applicant which implies that by the time of at least 86 to 87 days there could be a situation where the process as pertaining to a particular application could have already passed the desk of the Director-General who must sign off the application outcome. 

That is why the department is aiming to strengthen the capacity within the regulation unit. An important aspect, however, is applicants must have the required documentation in place whether they applied electronically or handed in documents at the department.  

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