ENVIRONMENT and ENERGY: HELGARD'S COLUMN
43
Creative juices flow
where water does not
The National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, South Africa, has a
major economic impact on the Eastern Cape and an estimated
R340-million is spent each year. Yet the future of the event is
under threat, not by the economy or lack of creativity, but by
the erratic supply of water.
By Helgard Muller
Once a year, since 1974, the university town of
Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape hosts a major
arts and cultural event: the National Arts Festival.
This event puts Grahamstown firmly on the map
as the biggest annual celebration of the arts on
the African continent. Over the past 10 years, the
festival has grown by more than 60%, outstripping
inflation and setting record after record. The event
has a major economic impact on the city, and an
estimated R340-million is spent in the Eastern
Cape because of the festival — R90-million of
which in Grahamstown. About 500 journalists
receive accreditation to cover the event, and
hours and hours of broadcasting time follows on
television and radio.
But all is not well. In an open letter published in
Grocotts Mail on Friday, 15 July 2016, Tony Lankester,
CEO of the section 21 company running the event,
expressed serious concerns about the future of this
festival. His worry and main challenge being neither
the slowing economy nor the lack of funding or artistic
inspiration, but water. The reason: at this year’s festival
in June, while the people and money flowed through the
town of Grahamstown, the water didn’t.
He rightfully argued that, “We ... can’t keep urging
people to come here if we can’t guarantee their
health, safety and comfort. We can’t responsibly
hold an event that attracts tens of thousands of
people when the city’s infrastructure is so neglected
Helgard Muller
Plumbing Africa is pleased
to have Helgard Muller as
a regular contributor to
this publication. Helgard
recently retired from the
Department of Water Affairs
where he served as Deputy
Director-General: Policy
and Regulations.
The supply of
water during
the festival is so
erratic that our
guests fall asleep
not knowing if
they will be able
to shower, boil a
kettle, or brush
their teeth when
they wake up.
Hubert Goyan/Flickr
The National Arts Festival
is held in Grahamstown
in June each year, and
is the biggest annual
celebration of the arts on
the African continent.
Continued on page 45 >>
www.plumbingafrica.co.za
November 2016 Volume 22 I Number 9