Water, sanitation dept looking for solutions ahead of two-day summit

The provision of water and sanitation in the country could change for the better following a solution and action-driven summit to be held at the weekend, the department of water and sanitation said yesterday.

The two-day summit will host water and sanitation experts, industry leaders, non-profit organisations, environmentalists, government in all spheres, water boards and international partners.

Various ministers are also expected to attend.

The water and sanitation department’s spokesperson, Sputnik Ratau, said the expected number of dignitaries for the occasion would be about 300, with a possibility of 400.

Ratau said the department was also expecting officials from all the district municipalities to take part in the summit.

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The summit “will be solutions-driven” and will draft immediate action to be taken on water and sanitation service provision.

Ratau debunked any suggestion that it “will become another government talk shop”, adding that the summit would be held on Friday and Saturday at Gallagher Estate in Midrand.

He said the summit was decided upon in provincial working sessions that the minister, Senzo Mchunu, arranged when he took over the portfolio last year.

Ratau said in the main, the minister wanted to fully understand the core challenges that hindered the provision of water and sanitation services in the country.

During provincial talks, the main challenges “were found to be capacity, both technical and human; operations and maintenance; planning and infrastructure development; and ageing infrastructure, to name but a few”, he said.

During his Limpopo visit early this year, Mchunu said the department was concerned about the ageing water infrastructure meant to provide clean running water to communities.

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The minister, who visited areas such as the Nandoni Dam in the Thohoyandou/Vhembe district and water schemes in the Giyani area under the Mopani district municipality, said his second concern was water reticulation.

The newly appointed minister said it meant nothing for government to procure big projects while water failed to reach the end users.

He gave municipalities an ultimatum to compile reports on how far they have gone with reticulations in their municipal area or face the music.

Mchunu further told officials that if they failed to deliver water, he would be forced to withdraw their water authority licences.

“Our people are tired of us talking and making endless promises,” said Mchunu in a statement.