SA’s problems — and Cape Town’s in particular — are not unique.
By comparison, the Cape Town metropolitan region is home to about 4-million people and receives an average annual rainfall of 500mm.
In 2014, the city got 511mm of rain.
All of these regions have faced or continue to face severe droughts.
Gauteng’s good rains may have led to the problems in Cape Town in a way.
The lack of water in Cape Town is self-inflicted.
If Eskom defaults and hence fails to produce electricity, the desalination plants will stop working.
We need politicians who will listen to and understand sound engineering, technical, economic and social advice that can be balanced with the political agenda.
Cape Town’s crisis may teach us all humility.
It may teach our partisan politicians humility if governing and opposition parties need to work together to save 3.7-million people.