The minister said the indaba was held under the theme ‘It’s not all about Flushing’ and was attended by representatives from government, water authorities and entities, business, non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) and research and innovation institutions.
Amongst those present at the indaba to deliver a keynote address, was deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa.
He says the aim of the indaba is to interrogate alternative solutions to sanitation which will provide safe, reliable and decent sanitation as a means to restore the dignity of many South Africans without access to sanitation.
“The provision of adequate sanitation is a national priority as its speaks to the restoration of dignity for many South Africans and addresses some of the historical inequalities that characterise our country,” he says.
Ramaphosa says government has, to date, sought to provide water-based sanitation solutions as part of its service delivery model to provide adequate services to currently unserviced and under-serviced areas where residents are desperately in need of both sanitation and water.
Speaking at the indaba, Mokonyana warned against the continued use of clean drinkable water to flush toilets as a standard.
“We must introduce new technologies that appreciate that water is a scarce resource and as such provide solutions to dispose of effluent via alternative methods. It’s not all about flushing and that is the Sanitation Revolution we are here to instigate,” she says.
In her conclusion she said the department, along with the Water Research Commission, will process its outcomes and ensure they find expression in government through the necessary channels to deliver the impact required
