Joburg Water’s postion is unclear concerning water forum
The water utilities head says no formal arrangement nor agreements made about collaborating with Rand Water, civil society and water experts, but lower-level management is involved with platform created to assist with Johannesburg's water crisis.
Johannesburg Water backtracks on commitments made to work with WaterCAN, an Outa initiative, the Water Crisis Committee, and others, to find solutions to the city’s water crisis.
The water forum was formed last year in a bid to have all relevant city stakeholders, including the mayor, in the same space to work together as a collective.
Johannesburg Water (JW) has now surprisingly said they are not a part of any platform despite agreeing to do so as far back as November.
This journalist attended a meeting on November 11 at Constitution Hill where JW represented by Logan Munsamy, senior manager for networks agreed that they would be a part of the newly formed water forum.
The water forum includes Rand Water who immediately supplied the requested names of two representatives who would support the programme.
Dr Ferrial Adam, executive manager of WaterCAN emailed Munsamy and others from JW on November 14 to ask for the names of two representatives who would sit on the water forum to represent the city entity. Munsamy replied by requesting his colleague, Nondumiso Mabuza, JW executive manager for stakeholder relations to engage with him to ‘find a way forward’.
Further to this, Munsamy in an email on January 24 requested Takalani Makhuvha to attend the Water Forum meeting, which was held on February 7, which she briefly did.
Despite multiple follow-ups by Adam in the interim, no names have been forthcoming. In fact, JW top brass seem to have done a 180 and backtracked on their commitment.
The Northcliff Melville Times approached JW for comment two weeks ago to follow up on commitments made to join the water forum. Questions were also asked about a meeting held with the civil society, water experts and the mayor on January 25. JW responded by stating they are not involved or collaborating with any water forum, WCC, or any other group.
When pressed again last week, by further clarifying agreements made in case former queries were unclear, to provide feedback on the work the forum is doing and which two representatives from JW would be represented, their response was the same.
“Johannesburg Water is not a member of the Water Forum or any Water Crisis Committee. Engagement with stakeholders is very important to us and whenever we are invited to community forums, such as the water forum. We do endeavour to attend where possible, like the meeting that took place on January 25. We recognise all efforts from various stakeholders who come together to try to find solutions to water supply challenges for the greater good of the City of Johannesburg and its residents,” says Nombuso Shabalala, Spokesperson for Johannesburg Water.
This journalist was told on the phone by JW that the response comes directly from the JW CEO and their position is final.
Adam says, “The mayor and Johannesburg Water confirmed at our meeting in January that they will participate in the water forum. As far as we are concerned, Johannesburg Water kept to this commitment with Ms Takalani Makhuva representing them at our first meeting today [February 7]. We look forward to their continued participation, and we will reach out to the private office of the executive mayor to confirm the person representing the City of Joburg.”
The mayor’s office and the city spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane were asked to respond but at the time of going to press no reply had been received to questions posed to them for comment.
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