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The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in the Eastern Cape has asked the residents of Nelson Mandela Bay Metro to lead efforts to prevent contamination of freshwater resources by cleaning up streams, wetlands, canals and any sources of fresh water in an attempt to ensure water safety in the Metro and throughout the province.
The call comes as the Department kicked off its annual Clear Rivers campaign, a call to action for members of the public to take an active role in cleaning up water resources.
The campaign also aims to actively engage communities in the importance of protecting the health of rivers amid declining water levels on the western side of the province, leading to severe and unavoidable water shortages. precedent in the Nelson Mandela Bay subway.
Department spokesman Sputnik Ratau said the campaign aims to encourage volunteerism among communities as a proactive approach to protecting water resources.
Launched in 2016 by the Department together with business and civil society, the campaign coincides with Nelson Mandela Month, which encourages individual acts of kindness aimed at making a mark and changing the world around them.
“South Africa is a water-scarce country and seeing how the effects of the drought are affecting residents in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, across the province and the country, it is obvious that we all have to take a stand against it. contamination of our valuable water resources,” Ratau said.
The Clear Rivers campaign is themed: "South Africa is a water scarce country, clean up and protect water resources" and will see a series of cleanups led by Minister Senzo Mchunu, Deputy Ministers David Mahlobo and Dikeledi Magadzi along with departmental officials in various parts of the country.
“River cleanups aren't just for show. Of course, we urge residents to spend their 67 minutes of goodwill activities cleaning up on International Mandela Day, but the most important thing is to keep them clean beyond Mandela Day,” Ratau said.
He said the benefits of healthy rivers also help the country's economy, as different types of plants grow in and on river banks, and some of the plants provide communities with building materials such as roofs for huts and houses. .
Communities also use reeds and other wetland vegetation to make baskets, mats, curtains, and bags, encouraging economic activity.
The Department has urged members of the public to report contamination of rivers and freshwater ecosystems to the DWS hotline on 0800 200 200.
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) calls on all South Africans to take an active part in the annual Clear Rivers campaign spearheaded by the Department in its efforts for healthy, pollution-free water sources.
The Clear Rivers campaign was launched in 2016 in the spirit of Mandela Month, a call for people to spend 67 of their minutes in a spirit of goodwill to clean up rivers, canals, streams, wetlands and other water sources. The purpose of the campaign is to foster active and responsible citizenship across the spectrum where people become participants in promoting a pollution-free environment to improve water quality and ensure water security in the country.
This year's campaign will be carried out under the slogan "South Africa is a water-scarce country, clean and protect water resources."
Department spokesperson Sputnik Ratau says the Clear Rivers campaign is one of the important campaigns undertaken by the Department and has called on community members, businesses, civil societies, organizations, churches and everyone to join the government and clean up all the waterways around the world. country.
“This campaign is close to our hearts as a department because it speaks to many issues that affect water quality and water safety in the country. The contamination of water sources is serious and this scourge needs everyone, since the government cannot do it alone”, he emphasized.
Additionally, Ratau says that healthy water sources are paramount in the country, as clean, quality water is not only a basic human right, but is also a catalyst for economic development. “Communities and livestock in particular stand a better chance of a better quality of life when our rivers are clean and healthy. The farming community, the mining sector, fishing, among others, benefit greatly from healthy streams,” he added.
The intended result of this year's campaign is, among others, to ensure the following environmentally conscious communities, pollution-free rivers, well-informed and educated communities.
The Department of Water and Sanitation continues to urge communities to take responsibility when it comes to river conservation and protection and to report pollution of rivers and freshwater ecosystems to the DWS hotline on 0800 200. 200.
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) will meet with the community of Richmond and surrounding areas in the Northern Cape next week on July 12, 2022 as part of public engagements on the Unconventional Gas Regulations released.
The DWS has met with internal and external stakeholders regarding the published Unconventional Gas Regulations that were developed in accordance with Section 38 of the National Water Act of 1998. The regulations prescribe requirements and procedures when water is used for unconventional gas.
Public engagements are now being put in place, particularly with affected communities where unconventional gas activities are being piloted or anticipated for future use. Public engagements will take place July 11-20, 2022 in the following communities:
July 11, 2022 – Theunissen in the Free State July 12, 2022 – Richmond in the Northern Cape July 13, 2022 – Beaufort West in the Western Cape July 18, 2022 – Lephalale in Limpopo July 19, 2022 – Volksrust in Mpumalanga July 20, 2022 in Matatiele in the East layer
Information brochures will be distributed to the public and input and feedback will be solicited through meetings and recorded comments. Input from communities in the affected areas is expected before the final publication of the regulations.
Annually, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) celebrates the Clear River Campaign in an effort to clean and protect water resources.
Under the slogan "South Africa is a source of water, clean and protect our water resources", the campaign aims to actively engage communities, as well as promote and create continuous awareness and education on the protection of our water resources among communities. , municipalities, government departments and industries such as mining, agriculture, which are the main sources of water pollution.
This proactive approach to protecting rivers, streams, wetlands, and other aquatic ecosystems is highly recommended, given the ongoing drought in much of the country.
The campaign invites everyone to dedicate their 67 minutes of goodwill activities to cleaning up streams, wetlands, dams, canals and any source of fresh water.
Everyone is encouraged to participate in the cleanup of aquatic ecosystems, any day during Mandela Month.
During the Clear River campaign, people must testify to the value of clean water, especially for their healthy development, since rivers serve functions such as the ability to clean themselves better when they are healthy. Therefore, active and responsible citizenship is encouraged across the spectrum where people from all walks of life become participants in promoting healthy rivers. The relationship between communities and healthy rivers can never be overstated as it is community members who must care for our rivers to ensure they are not filtered with filthy garbage.
The mandate of the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), as established in the National Water Act of 1998 and the Water Services Act of 1997, is to ensure that the country's water resources are protected, managed, used, developed , preserved and controlled by regulating and supporting the provision of effective water supply and sanitation services. Due to human behaviors, most rivers and streams are experiencing high river pollution activity, such as illegal dumping of garbage such as paper, plastics, diapers, empty cans, animal skins, and even chemical discharges that pollute our water resources. .
According to the departmental spokesperson, Mr. Sputnik Ratau, members of the public are encouraged to take a stand and create platforms, share concerns and respond to river pollution incidents by cleaning up their rivers and reporting any irregular activity leading to water pollution, such as illegal dumping. to the DWS hotline on 0800 200 200.
The Department of Water and Sanitation is organizing a faecal sludge management workshop with all stakeholders in water and sanitation in the Northern Cape. The workshop will be held at Dawid Kruiper's local township in Upington on Thursday 12th May 2022.
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has advanced in the development of the National Faecal Sludge Management Strategy (NFSMS) for non-sewer sanitation systems, the National Integrated Sanitation Plan (NSIP) and the National Framework of Sanitation (NSF). The consultative workshop will be a platform to share and solicit input from all stakeholders in the Northern Cape to further advance the framework.
As a result of disparities and inequity in access to sanitation services, unintended consequences of sewer spills and other sanitation challenges, NFSMS, NSF and NSIP will be geared to implement radical changes in the water and sanitation sector .
Some of the issues under scrutiny are sanitation norms and standards that need to be reviewed and adapted to address faecal sludge disposal, dignity, especially of women, the elderly and girls.
Another thorn in the flesh has been the eradication of bucket toilets which have become a moving target due to the proliferation of informal settlements. Better forms of sanitation in terms of regulations and standards will need to be implemented and enforced to ensure the total eradication of bucket toilets.
In addition, there is a need to strengthen support to water service authorities such as municipalities, which could be done through collaboration and partnerships in the water and sanitation sector. Community participation will also be strengthened through improved water and sanitation forums.
Two software license contracts and support agreements concluded between the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and Systems Applications Products (SAP) worth over R1 billion have been declared constitutionally invalid and annulled by the Special Court. The Special Court's order follows an intensive investigation by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) into the DWS affairs, which revealed that the department irregularly concluded software license and support agreements between 2015 and 2016 with SAP, a multinational company. of software. The SIU challenged DWS and SAP with evidence of wrongdoing and, by agreement, the SIU along with DWS and SAP declared the contracts invalid and illegal. The agreement was made at the order of the Special Court. On March 15, 2022, the Special Court ordered SAP to reimburse DWS the amount of R413 million from the R1,036,000,000 software license agreements. The R413 million represents the full amount paid by DWS to SAP under the 2015 and 2016 software license and support agreements. The Special Court further ordered SAP to pay DWS R 263 282 173.78 within five days of the date of the Order, with the remainder to be paid after the Special Court determined whether any additional amount should be deducted from the amount. owed. Under the Special Court order, DWS may not use any software licensed under the 2015 and 2016 license agreements. The disputed amount of approximately R83 million for third party costs incurred by SAP and the non-profit principle will be adjudicated by the Special Court and a new order will be issued on the reimbursement of any part of the R83 million to DWS. The SIU and DWS welcome the Special Court's order as it sends a strong message to officials and companies doing business with the State that collusion and unethical business practices will not be rewarded. The result of the Special Court's order is a continuation of the implementation of the results of the SIU's investigation and consequence management to recover the financial losses suffered by the State institutions. There are other matters listed in the Special Court which are still awaiting adjudication for a combined value of R2.1 billion and will result in further recoveries for the State. Meanwhile, the SIU made disciplinary referrals to DWS against two senior officials. The SIU has been informed that the DC against one senior official has been concluded and a trial is expected within this week, while the DWS is considering disciplinary action against the other official. The SIU has also forwarded evidence pointing to criminality to the NPA, AFU and SARS. The references are in line with the SIU Law 74 of 1996.
Water has no substitute, so let's be responsible and make every precious drop count.
PRETORIA, South Africa, December 23, 2021 / APO Group / -Mpumalanga's water levels continue to rise.
Water levels in the listed dams and watersheds continue to rise in Mpumalanga province. According to the latest weekly report on the status of reservoirs from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) of December 20, 2021, the average water levels in the listed dams in the province of Mpumalanga increased even more than 85.0% of the last week at 87.4%. In the Water Management Areas (WMA), the Olifants WMA increased from 72.4% to 76.8% and the Inkomati-Usuthu WMA increased from 89.1% to 90.5%.
Despite the continued increase in most of the dams listed in the province, there are some dams that recorded decreases in water volumes, mainly in the Gert Sibande and Nkangala districts. In the Gert Sibande district, the Nooitgedacht dam was reduced from 101.8% to 97.3% and the Vygeboom dam was reduced from 102.1% to 101.6%. In the Nkangala district, the Witbank Dam fell from 98.9% to 93.4% and the Middelburg Dam fell from 97.1% to 95.7%. The Driekoppies and Longmere dams in the Ehlanzeni district were unchanged at 100.8% and 78.1% respectively.
On the positive side, in the Ehlanzeni district, the Blyderivierpoort dam increased from 85.0% to 91.4%, Buffelskloof from 97.8% to 100.3%, Klipkopjes from 90.9% to 94.3%, Witklip from 88.4% to 91.3%, Primkop from 100.4% to 100.9%, Kwena from 77.4% to 79.4%, Da Gama from 93.7% to 97.0%, Inyaka from 76.4% to 76.6% and Ohrigstad from 29.0% to 29.7%.
In the Gert Sibande district, the Grootdraai dam continued its increase above 100% going from 101.9% to 105.9%, the Jericho dam increased from 88.1% to 84.8%, Westoe from 37, 8% to 41.6%, Morgenstond from 86.7% to 91.3%, and Heyshope from 93.9% to 96.4%.
In Nkangala district, Loskop increased from 93.7% to 102.0% and Rhenosterkop or Mkhombo Dam increased from 6.1% to 6.3%.
The Department of Water and Sanitation encourages the public to continue to use water wisely and conservatively despite the falling rain, as South Africa is a dry and water-scarce country. Water has no substitute, so let's be responsible and make every precious drop count.
DWS also encourages the public to be cautious along dams and riverbanks as water levels rise and avoid flooded areas to avoid loss of life and important property as we can see rain it is associated with thunderstorms and flash floods.
