Report of the Portfolio Committee on Water Affairs and Forestry on Oversight Visit to KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, 31 July – 5 August 2005, Northern Cape and Eastern Cape, 14 – 19 August 2005:

Acknowledgements

The Portfolio Committee on Water Affairs and Forestry would like to acknowledge the officials from the KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Northern and Eastern Cape Provinces for their support, openness and knowledge base during this oversight visit. This support assisted the Members of Parliament of the Portfolio Committee on Water Affairs and Forestry, in systematically and in a structured manner to undertake the important function of oversight as defined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.

The Honourable Members of Parliament representing the Portfolio Committee of Water Affairs and Forestry on its Oversight Visit included:

KwaZulu-Natal: Ms C C September (Chairperson) (ANC), Ms P Bhengu (ANC), Ms M M Gumede (ANC), Mr J Kati (ANC), Mr V Mabuyakhulu (ANC), Mr B G Mosala (ANC) and Mr P H K Ditshetelo (UCDP).

Mpumalanga: Mr J D Arendse (Leader of Delegation) (ANC), Ms E Lishivha (ANC), Ms S M Maine (ANC), Ms M N S Manana (ANC), Mr D K Maluleke (DA), Mr M W Sibuyana (IFP) and Ms S N Sigcau (UDM).

Northern Cape: Ms C C September (Chairperson) (ANC), Ms M M Gumede (ANC), Ms E Lishivha (ANC), Mr V Mabuyakhulu (ANC), Mr I D Mogase (ANC), Mr B G Mosala (ANC), Mr D K Maluleke (DA), and Mr S Simmons (NNP).

Eastern Cape: Ms M N S Manana (Leader of Delegation) (ANC), Mr J Kati (ANC), Mr P Mathebe (ANC), Mr M W Sibuyana (IFP), and Ms S N Sigcau (UDM).

1. The following municipalities in the following provinces were visited:
1. KwaZulu-Natal

• Ilembe District Municipality
• Umkhanyakhude District Municipality
• Big Five False Bay Local Municipality
• Umhlabuyalingana Local Municipality
• Zululand District Municipality
• Umzinvati District Municipality

1. Mpumalanga

• Mbombela Local Municipality
• Nkomazi Local Municipality
• Gert Sibande District Municipality
• J S Moroka Local Municipality
• Emakhazeni Local Municipality

1. Northern Cape

• Frances Baard District Municipality
• Kgalagadi District Municipality
• Tsantsabane Local Municipality
• Sol Plaatjie Local Municipality
• Khara Hais Local Municipality
• Kai Garib Local Municipality

• Ngqushwa Local Municipality
• Chris Hani District Municipality
• Lukanji Local Municipality
• Or Tambo District Municipality
• Engcobo Local Municipality

In executing its mandate to its commitment to effective oversight, the Portfolio Committee on Water Affairs and Forestry undertook oversight visits, in August 2005, to gauge the level of integrated service delivery to areas designated as presidential nodes in the KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape Provinces.

The specific objectives of the oversight visit were the following:

• To note the shifts in service delivery since the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry evolved from an implementor to a regulator of water, sanitation and forestry issues. The shifting roles and functions for the delivery of basic services to local and district municipalities, more recently, reflect a greater financial responsibility to municipalities with the granting of the equitable shares, Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) and conditional grants.
• To assess the manner in which local, district, water service authorities and providers address core issues such as the water supply, water resources management, water and sanitation backlogs in respective areas.
• To ascertain the extent to which national government policies, legislation and standards of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry are being implemented through the devolution of functions to local and district municipalities, to assist with development in some of the most deprived areas. In this instance, the oversight role was to focus extensively on the delivery of basic services, such as water and sanitation in keeping with the targets of 2008 and 2010.

• To note the manner in which the principle of cooperative governance within the 3 spheres of government, work toward devising programmes to attend to the most critical development needs, geographically defined, to prioritise and focus the redistribution of resources from the top, to where they are most needed.
• To examine the extent to which provinces tasked with the development of Provincial Growth and Development Strategies/Plans and municipal Integrated Development Plans (IDPs), implement the proposals in the IDPs. This, as well as ascertaining the level of Water Services Development Plans (WSDPs), must be based on action by the municipalities as well as provincial and national departments, develop strategies to provide an interpretation and response to service delivery in respective provinces.
• To investigate water and sanitation services delivery, water resources management and sustainable forests management.

The functions of water and sanitation are particularly important for several reasons. Firstly, these are major revenue-generating functions for many municipalities. Secondly, they are highly complex functions since they combine infrastructure design and provision, natural resource management, operations and maintenance, credit control and community awareness issues (for example, health, hygiene, and infrastructure maintenance). Making effective policy decisions for water and sanitation is a challenging task for any municipality.

The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry proposed that the ‘Water Services Authority’ (WSA) function be distinguished from the ‘Water Services Provider’ function. The former refers to policy-making, guidance and oversight. The latter refers to the actual operations of water and sanitation systems. In many parts of the country, District Municipalities have been designed as Water Service Authorities, with Local Municipalities (or non-state agencies) functioning as Water Service Providers.

The general findings, of these visits reflected the following:

• Generally, the IDPs are a municipality-owned and driven process. However, in some instances, the IDPs have not been sufficiently strategic as the conditions such as insufficient skills, lack of control over resources of provincial and national departments pose certain constraints to service delivery.
• Many IDPs are rather generic, and insufficiently focused on the unique advantages of a particular location.
• In some instances, the national directive of providing 6KL of free basic water to the communities was not adhered to.
• Municipalities often complained about limited funding and asked for increased funds to fulfil the mandate of attaining the 2008 and 2010 targets.
• Intersectoral collaboration and partnerships regarding responsibilities and resources in many places are split amongst many role-players and therefore the benefits of service delivery are not seen within the communities.
• In particular, in some areas, the delegation noted no access to clean and safe sanitation.
• Varying programmes within the sanitation rollout pose disparities in service delivery.
• Certain municipalities have been able to go beyond 6 free kilolitres of water and offer up to 10 free kilolitres of water.
• Maintenance and operations plans are mostly absent.
• In some instances, integrated plans between education, housing and health remain a challenge in the provision of water and sanitation.
• There is insufficient research undertaken to provide appropriate water and sanitation options to specific communities.
• Services, mainly sanitation does not take into consideration the impact of women and the physically challenged.

Despite the political will to devolve the management of water resources to the local level, numerous challenges are forcing the state to play the role of initiator, facilitator, referee and regulator, in the meantime. Some of the reviewed challenges in this shift encompass the following:

• In spite of some progress, there continues to be serious backlogs in service provision in many Municipalities. Most Municipalities are not even service providers of water. In other Municipalities, there are still problems with the installation of functioning water meters; thus casting serious doubts about claims that free basic services are being provided.
• In some instances, it is unclear how indigent policies or registers are administered or how often these are updated. Many Municipalities continue to encounter difficulties in updating their indigent registers; often the onus is left on individual community members to come to Municipalities to provide the necessary information when their status or circumstances have changed. There is no profiling within Municipalities, of what constitute indigents, to determine the socio-economic status of communities to better inform decision-making or needs analysis to provide better and quality services to those who are in need.
• Metropolitan areas display relatively well-developed infrastructure, for water and sanitation service delivery, as most properties are metered and have water borne sanitation. However, outside the metropolitan areas, and particularly in informal settlements and farms, households continue to use the Ventilated Pit Latrines (VIPs) and a number still use the bucket system. Most are not metered. In many instances, families are faced with having no sanitation facilities at all.
• In his 2005 State of the Nation Address, the President, stated that the capacity within Municipalities and Local Government needs to be developed for them to deliver appropriate services to the people of South Africa. Capacity is a pre-condition for a proper functioning local government and in order for Municipalities to discharge their constitutional and legislative mandates of quality and sustainable service delivery. Capacity is more than training. Capacity includes institutional capacity, management capacity, skills development, financial capacity, etc. Although there continues to be some form of capacity building programmes and assistance received by Municipalities, this is not necessarily focused or targeted to meet the specific needs of Municipalities. Many Municipalities are experiencing difficulties related to capacity or lack thereof. Some Municipalities are encountering capacity problems relating to human resources, project management and financial management, in particular.
• In spite of claims by many Municipalities that their Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) are linked to their budgets, there are reports that refute this and shows that in many Municipalities, there is, in fact, a lack of funds to implement IDP projects. It appears that Municipalities sometimes use funds to maintain infrastructure and not to implement IDP projects, for instance. This also highlights a need for greater alignment of IDPs with Provincial Growth and Development Strategies, which will streamline funding and allow greater co-ordination of projects.
• In many instances, the lack of skills for specific tasks poses a huge challenge.

______________________________________________________________

A provincial overview by the officials of the Department of Water Affairs on the status of water and sanitation provision reflected the following:

• The Province’s 14 Water Services Authorities (WSAs) are responsible for ensuring access to sustainable services.
• The local government sources of National funds for water services are the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) and equitable share allocations. The Water Services component of the MIG allocation is based on a 52% guideline, and the water and sanitation split is estimated at 73% and 27% respectively (73% and 27% of 52%).

In providing detailed statistical information on service provision to the number of people in KwaZulu-Natal, Table 1 below provides demographic information for the Province, and Table 2 details the population that does not have access to a basic level of service. In both tables, the DWAF figure is based on the 2001 census information and updated to take into account services delivered through MIG, Department of Housing and DWAF funded programmes. The Water Services Authorities provided the Local Government figure during an information reconciliation process undertaken in December 2004.

The most significant challenges to ensuring sustainable water service provision in KZN include the following:

Financial constraints

The cost to eradicate the backlog in KwaZulu-Natal is estimated at R3.2 billion. With the current (2005/06) MIG allocation of approximately R400m for water, it will allegedly take 8 years (2012/2013) to eradicate the water backlog in the province. If the MIG water allocation is increased by 10% per annum, this target can allegedly be achieved two years earlier (2010/2011).

A number of the easier to supply areas have been served and the more dispersed and isolated dwellings still require services. These areas require infrastructural assistance to enhance service delivery. Where dwellers are 400m apart, a basic water supply will require that full pressure tap be supplied to each dwelling.

Most municipalities have insufficient resources to operate and maintain infrastructure. The provision of new infrastructure and inadequate maintenance to existing schemes can result in services failing and therefore increasing the backlog.

Some municipalities have capacity problems when it comes to planning, approving and implementing capital projects. Cognisance and due care must be given to the time required to plan the implementation and long-term operation and maintenance of the scheme.

Some areas require regional bulk projects that required large capital investments. Better usage of the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) is required.

Many municipalities have problems topping up the MIG to provide higher levels of service.

Scheme failures due to failure of the water resource must be prevented through thorough planning and water feasibility investigations.

• More assistance on the WSDPs plans are required.
• Municipalities need to rethink the information, in terms of resources required, in the IDPs.
• Flexibility should be applied in the application of policies; particularly in difficult topography areas and where settlement patterns are disperse.
• The WSAs long-term decisions regarding water service provider arrangement must be finalised and suitable contractual arrangement put in place. Water Service Provider business plans should be prepared and regulation of WSP must be addressed.
• Support to be provided by Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF), the South African Local Government Association and Department of Traditional and Local Government Affairs (DTLGA) for adequate water services and water resources planning not covered by project specific feasibility investigation.

2. Ugu District Municipality

The demographics of the district remain unchanged as a noticeable pattern of uneven development prevails. On the one hand, there is a noticeable rural-urban divide, coupled with high levels of poverty in rural areas. In the 2003/04 IDP review process, communities have reaffirmed their priority needs, as encapsulated in the Ugu IDP 2002. While community priorities vary across different segments, ranking of priority needs in the district as a whole has seen ‘access to basic services’ as a top priority. It has also been noted that poverty and job creation have also been expressed as issues that need to be addressed urgently. The district has a significant number of people living below the minimum wage level. This means that the district has to budget on an annual basis for indigent support to alleviate the plight of needy residents.

The status quo of water and sanitation services for the district municipality showed that in 2002, there was a 40% backlog for water and a 60% for sanitation. Of the 2005/06 MIG allocation of R95 million, 20% was allocated to sanitation and 60% for water. The remaining 20% of these funds would be utilised for community facilities.

All municipalities submitted their 2002 IDP’s and their 2003 Reviews. The Member of the Executive Council (MEC) noted substantial improvements to the original IDP document. The municipalities have begun working on their 2005/06 Review to refine elements and to further facilitate compliance with the Municipal Systems Act.

In terms of the Local Economic Development (LED, the unemployment rate is estimated at 23%. More than 80% of the households earn less than R1 600 a month. The securing of funding for LED strategies remains a challenge.

• A strengthening of the indigent support register was needed.
• A concerted effort was needed to accelerate the delivery of water and sanitation programme through considering whether the area was to be declared a disaster area.
• Long-term strategies were needed to minimise the impact of drought.

• There was a need to reduce debt, water loss and maintenance costs.

2. Zululand District Municipality

The ZDM is situated in northern KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). It covers an area of 14,808 km² and is divided into five local municipalities (LMs), namely eDumbe (KZ261), uPhongolo (KZ262), Abaqulusi (KZ263), Nongoma (KZ265), and Ulundi (KZ266). The area has recently transferred Wards 16 and 18 from Ulundi LM to uMzinyathi DM. The district is predominantly rural with commercial farmland interspersed by protected areas, towns, and dense to scattered rural settlements within traditional authority areas. The majority of these rural settlements are small, making service delivery to these remote areas extremely costly. The ZDM comprises 1,022 settlements divided into 15 urban areas, 64 dense settlements, 290 villages, 547 scattered settlements and 106 farm settlements.

The ZDM is legally obliged to provide the consumers within their area of jurisdiction with access to basic water services. Basic services, or minimum supply standards, have been defined by National Government through a regulation, and it is to these national standards that the ZDM is planning on alleviating the water services backlogs. Basic water supply is 25l per capita per day, or 6kl per household per month, within a walking distance of 200m from the homestead (other technical data also applies). Basic sanitation provision is essentially a ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrine. The consumer units are divided per settlement type, however projections for the backlog alleviation per settlement type over the implementation period still need to be assessed. The objective is to ensure equitable access to water services for the population, however a consumer unit is a billable unit and therefore a consumer unit is a household. As at base year 2003/2004 there were 97,113 consumer units supplied with water and 44,768 consumer units provided with sanitation to the requisite standards. Therefore the backlogs for water and sanitation are 41% and 72% respectively. Further detail is required on the public, commercial and industrial consumers within the ZDM.

All municipalities submitted their 2002 IDP’s as well as their 2003 reviews to the MEC. The municipalities have begun their 2005/06 IDP Review for further compliance with the Municipal Systems Act. Further attention is required on environmental management, disaster and performance management.

In terms of the LED, the district as a whole has an unemployment rate of 24%. 70% have an income of less than R800 a month.

The challenges mentioned by the DM officials encompassed the following:

• The timber from Zululand is taken to other provinces or countries for saw-milling purposes, and this the impacts on the employment opportunities for the local communities.
• The District Municipality is to look into the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) standard of water provision.
• A database of existing standpipes is unavailable.

• Issues of poverty need to be addressed.
• Policies need to be revised so that every household, in the future, would be provided with water.
• To undertake a detailed study to locate existing underground pipes, and standpipes.

2. Meeting with His Majesty, King Goodwill Zwelithini

The Committee had an interesting meeting with King Goodwill Zwelithini, who provided insights on some of the issues that impact negatively on the water, sanitation and forestry sectors in KwaZulu-Natal.

On issues pertinent to the forestry sector, the King highlighted the following:

• The tea plantations that worked well in the past were financially funded and created job opportunities for the communities living in the area. However, DWAF in taking the initiative to cut down large plantations of trees and carting it to sawmills in Vryheid instead of utilising local infrastructure is disadvantaging this community.
• The rationale for moving timber from KwaZulu-Natal to other parts of the country to process was highly problematic. This increased the unemployment and takes projects away from communities.
• There is a need for the government to allocate funds to black people to own projects and expertise is needed to empower these communities.
• Not much has been seen of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) initiatives, as outlined in the Forestry Charter, in this region.

On issues pertinent to water resources, the King highlighted the following:

• An input in July 2005 on the Water Allocation Reform from the monarchy reflected some of the concerns of water distribution in this region. DWAF experiences problems in that although water is allocated for a specific number of households, the movement of people and the creation of settlements challenge the resources.
• In one instance, R3 million was allocated to the building of a dam in Invuma. Although the developers were warned of the prevailing unsatisfactory conditions, such as build up of soil and sand from the banks of the Invuma River, went ahead and built the dam. In a short space of time, the dam was filled with sand and soil.
• Although the St. Lucia area has been declared a World Heritage Site, oil pollution in this area is a major problem.
• The skewed distribution of water to communities as opposed to one commercial farmer, Mr Senekal, accessing the bulk of the water needs serious attention. Poor people queue through the night to fill buckets.

• The Portfolio Committee on Water Affairs and Forestry plays a critical role in the passing of laws pertinent to water, sanitation and forestry issues. In terms of the Committee’s oversight functions, it is necessary to also critically examine the changing responsibilities of DWAF, in terms of transference of obligations with service delivery.
• It is also crucial that the Portfolio Committee understand the difficulties experienced by the Municipalities in translating new functions. These issues can be raised at Parliament with the Minister, and timely interventions can be undertaken.
• The Constitutional right of people to services does not necessarily transform to water allocation reform, but incorporates other sectors on the question of a better life for all citizens in South Africa.

2. uMzinyathi District Municipality

The District Municipality is located in Northern KZN and the major towns include Dundee and Greytown. The municipality extends over approximately 8 079 km² with a total population of 479 938. 17 tribal authorities are found within the district boundary.

The DM joined forces with other WSA’s (Newcastle LM and Amajuba DM to establish uThukela Water (Pty). A 30 year-long term service agreement was signed. The WSDP was finalised and adopted in March 2005 and the DM is currently in the process of reviewing it in order to enhance it. The DM is participating in the processes of uThukela Catchment Management Agency.

Umzinyathi DM has improved lives for many destitute communities through the development of many schemes (water and sanitation). 1 July 2003 – 3kl for urban and 6kl for rural. 1 July 2005, 6kl for all, except businesses. Operation and Maintenance Costs – No Income. The rural schemes cost of basic service is R35/KL. There is deterioration in service delivery.

All municipalities prepared, completed and submitted their 2003 IDP. All have completed the 2003 Review and submitted their plans as a ‘family’ of municipalities. This was undertaken for the MEC to facilitate alignment between the municipalities. All have begun working on the 2005/06 IDP Review to further improve aspects such as Institutional Development, Environmental Management and Performance Management Systems.

In terms of LED, there is severe poverty in this District. As a whole, the district has an unemployment rate of 25%. More than 80% of households earn less than R1 600 a month. The largest proportion of poor households is located within the rural municipalities.

The challenges mentioned by the DM officials encompassed the following:

• Financial constraints – eradicate backlogs against current MIG annual allocations.
• Dispersed consumers and difficult topography – supply areas.
• Operation and maintenance resources – resources in-house to operate and maintain infrastructure.
• Local government capacity constraints – capacity in-house for planning and improving capital projects.
• Lack of funds for bulk supply and higher levels of services – capital investments; expansion of existing infrastructure.
• Higher levels of service of funding – top-up funding for the provision of HLOS.

• Inadequate water resource planning – scheme failures.

It is therefore recommended that:

• Increase resources – financial and human.
• Development of a WSP monitoring model.
• Support by DWAF and DTLGA for water services and resource planning.
• Financial support required of R9, 5 million for the current short-term measures.

2. Umkhanyakude District Municipality

Umkhanyakude DM is the Water Services Authority in the area. There are 5 Local Municipalities in the area (Umhlabuyalingana, Jozini, Hlabisa, Big 5 False Bay and Mtubatuba).

All municipalities submitted their 2002 IDP’s to the MEC. All also completed the 2003 Review. All municipalities have begun their 2005/06 IDP Review.

In terms of the Local Economic Development (LED), the district has an unemployment figure of 22% and approximately 70% of households earn less than R800 a month.

The status quo of water and sanitation services for the district municipality showed that in February 2005, there was a 46,99% access to water, 21,30% access to sanitation and 58,55% access to free basic water.

The number of boreholes showed that of the 250 assessed, 150 were repaired. Of the 100 schemes assessed, 100 were rehabilitated, and 4 water tankers were purchased, 4 hired and 5 repaired.

In the Esihligwini and Gwliweni areas, falling within the Umkhanyakude District Municipality, representatives noted that there is no running water, (in the form of standpipes, etc). People walk long distances to streams or dams, and most times, these sources have dried up. If water is ferried to the people by tankers, people queue as early as two or three in the morning to collect this much-needed resource.

An input of the situation under the Jozini Municipality reflected a serious problem with broken water pumps, no big dam or functioning boreholes servicing the area. Although an official from the Unkhanyakude District Municipality, who is the Water Service Authority, provided explanations, these were unfavourably received by the health sector.

The challenges noted by the officials of the district municipality reflected the following:

• Maintenance and operation plans are needed.
• Water services rollout is inadequate.
• There are a number of backlogs and access to services needs improvement.

• Assistance with regard to IDP and WSDP plans.
• An immediate intervention to allow communities access to their basic water rights.

2. Ilembe District Municipality

The previous Regional council of ILembe was located on the east coast but divided into two geographical portions. The re-demarcation process incorporated most of the southern portion into eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, while the northern portion remained largely unchanged as ILembe Local Municipality. Two new local municipalities were established: Ndwedwe and Maphumulo. Local municipalities of this district municipality include: eNdondakusuka Municipality, KwaDukuza Municipality, Maphumulo Municipality and Ndwedwe Municipality.

All municipalities submitted their 2002 IDP’s to the MEC for assessment as well as their 2003 Reviews. All have begun their 2005/06 Review for compliance with the Municipal System Act.

The input that follows reflects the first hand experiences and lived realities of community members in the Ilembe District Municipality.

Ilembe District Municipality:

Sonkombo (Ward 8 and 10)

• There is a reservoir that supplies Kwambase but this reservoir has dried up (Ward 10)
• An engineer was sought to deal with the above issue but has not lived up to meet his obligation of July 2005.
• Standpipes serviced some parts of the area. In two instances, however, people used plastic containers to catch the run-off water from leaves that overhung from the mountain, and, in the other, people shared a small pool of muddy water with animals (Ward 8).
• The above poses a health risk to the community and burdens the lives of the people even further. This is particularly difficult for women and children and impacts other areas of peoples’ lives.
• People are still walking long distances to collect water from streams that are polluted.
• The numerous water services projects installed are unable to meet the needs of the people, and it remains continuously dysfunctional.

2. Joint Meeting Held at the Mosvold Hospital with representatives working in the Health, Education, Justice and the Tribal Authorities Sector

A joint meeting held at the Mosvold Hospital with representatives working in the Health, Education, Justice and the tribal authorities sector, highlighted the following issues:

• Since October 2004, the water supply to the Mosvold Hospital and clinics in this area is a problem.
• Up until June 2005, there have been numerous cuts in the water supply. This not only affects the hygienic conditions for the patients but makes it difficult to take X-rays as this process needs water
• The non-availability impacts on the health services of the community. Patients have to be turned away as the system cannot function and this compromises proper health services.
• Even clinics are disadvantaged, as there is no water. Clinics at times hire water tankers but this is very expensive.
• Communicable diseases, without proper water facilities, could increase in this area.
• Although the municipality has been contacted, and a number of public meetings held, there is still no continuous access to water.
• Most boreholes dry up.
• Though the hospital is on hilly terrain, the study of planning of water pipes with an access to the Jozini Dam or the Limpopo River is not meticulously conducted. No input and solutions are taken from the community and yet the community is the best knowledge base with regard to these matters.

• This project assists approximately 800 patients, most of whom are HIV positive. Since these people are so ill, they cannot walk long distances and water is an essential part of their care. Most often, the home-based carers carry water or walk the distance to carry water for these patients.
• The income generating projects purchased tanks for the use of a number of garden projects. These tanks do not have enough water and therefore the community garden projects are not sustainable.

Child-Headed Households and Orphans

• There are a number of child headed households and children have to walk 10 kilometres or more. The public tanks charge 25 cents a litre and many people cannot afford even this amount.
• The projects dealing with children’s issues rely extensively on volunteers from overseas.

• The impact of children having to walk long distances to water sources on their education is quite critical. In some instances, children cannot go to school, as they have to fetch water for their families.
• Water is an important source of food provision and production, and at times, children are quite hungry. This adversely affects their involvement in their schooling and could have a long-term effect on their academic input.

• An essential service such as justice was unable to access water whilst the court was in session.

The tribal authorities expressed their concern by the above communities affected by serious water shortages in Ingwavuma District under the Jozini Municipality. The representatives maintained that the Shemula Water Supply Scheme is of no value to immediate communities as the pumps installed earlier broke down, and the entire system failed to serve its intended purpose.

The following incorporated recommendations were proposed to resolve the water problem in this Municipality:

1. Whilst the Portfolio Committee visited Wards 8 and 10 in the Sonkombo region, falling under the Ilembe District Municipality, there is an urgent need to investigate the conditions of service delivery in the entire Sonkombo region.
2. The construction of a big dam by blocking Usuthu River Water and thereby pumping water into NODAL water reservoirs at the following headmen constituencies in Ward 14, 15 and 17 of Inkosi Mathenjwa and Inkosi Mngomezulu, respectively.
1. Ekuhlehleni Area.
2. Emanyiseni Area.
3. Engonyameni Area.
4. Nkungwini Area.
3. Another dam can also be built by blocking the Ingwavuma River at the Esiweni area.
1. The water could assist the farming communities of Inkosi Nyawo, Inkosi Mngomezulu and Inkosi Mathenjwa.
4. The blocking of certain river valleys can be of great importance to vegetable farming communities, as well as for the livestock.
5. Water supply systems can also be installed in the Western part of Inkosi Nyawo through Hlathikhulu Forest or Esihlangwini Area. This will help the local community and that of Ingwavma Town.
6. Need a limited amount of funding, to link the Shemula Scheme to this area. If funds are given to upgrade the scheme and utilise bigger pumps, the area will be supplied with water.
7. Although the terrain is difficult to negotiate on an engineering level, there are options, such as utilising closer sources to water to service the area.
8. Sustained studies need to be undertaken in this area to utilise and tap into the water resources that are available in this area.
9. The bulk of the water from the Jozini Dam is being utilised by a big commercial farmer, Mr Senegal. Large consumption of water for irrigation purposes is needed, but a skewed distribution of this vital source to the community needs immediate address from the Departments of Land, Agriculture, Water Affairs and Forestry.

In conclusion, the community representatives noted that if the above measures are taken into account as a matter of urgency, the water problems in these areas could be permanently resolved so that other economic activities could develop in these areas.

The presentations from the two water boards mentioned below maintained that although the Water Services Authorities have a responsibility to provide adequate water services within their areas of jurisdiction, backlogs cannot be addressed through stand-alone schemes as they are unsustainable without continual and direct technical, administrative and financial support.

The proposal from the presentations, in terms of their experiences is that although regional bulk supply schemes to improve the water service delivery is not the only solution, there are advantages, listed below, of regional schemes over stand-alone schemes:

• Sustainability of supply.
• Rationalisation.
• Economies of scale.
• Linking water resources to water supply.
• Resource/skill sharing.

The Mhlathuze Water Area of Operation comprises cooperation or negotiations with the following municipalities:

• Mhlathuze and Umkhanyakude District Municipality had the original agreements, which they entered into in terms of which Mhlathuze Water operated and maintained some of the plants on behalf of Umkhanyakude District Municipality.
• A new service provision agreement between Mhlathuze Water and Umkhanyakude District Municipality has been signed whereby UDM appointed MW in terms of section 19 of the Act as the water services provider for the service specified in the agreement.
• This newly signed agreement supersedes the original agreement.
• Negotiations of memorandum of understanding with the uThungulu District Municipality is still underway.
• MW is still negotiating a partnership with the Zululand District Municipality.
• MW is still working on closer cooperation with the IIembe District Municipality in order to investigate ways and means of promoting closer cooperation and coordination between the two bodies with regard to water service provision in the municipality’s area.

Mhlathuze Water provided a further input on the areas and manner in which they partake in the Working for Water Programme. The following information was provided:

• In KwaZulu-Natal, there are 69 existing projects, and the uSuthu-Mhlathuze WMA, has 18 Working for Water Programmes since 2003. These are in the Goedertouw, Ntambanana and Mfule areas.

1. Umgeni Water Board

Established in 1974, Umgeni Water is one of Africa's most successful organisations involved in water management and the largest bulk water supplier in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is one of the largest catchment-based water utility in Southern Africa, supplying some 340 000 kilolitres of clean, safe drinking water to almost 4.8 million people annually. Its main customers include eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, Illembe, Sisonke, Umgungundlovu and Ugu district municipalities, and the Msunduzi and Mngeni local municipalities, amongst others.

1. Progress towards implementation within Umgeni Water’s area of operation

• Mgeni Regional Scheme – Comprises of a number of sub-components, viz. A planning investigation into the proposed future infrastructure requirements to upgrade the main spine has just been completed.
• The Umbumbulu Bulk Pipeline is currently being constructed.
• Pre-feasibility level planning of an extension of the Wartburg Pipeline has commenced.
• Detailed feasibility planning of the Richmond pipeline is scheduled to start in August.
• North Coast Regional Scheme - Detailed civil design is complete. Servitude registration and the environmental assessments are currently underway for the North Coast Bulk Pipeline.
• Mvoti Regional Scheme - Pre-feasibility level planning of this scheme has recently commenced.
• South Coast Regional Scheme - Construction of the upper portion of the South Coast Bulk Pipeline is scheduled to commence early next year. Design and environmental assessments are currently underway.
• Mzintlava Regional Scheme - External consultants have recently been appointed to undertake a reconnaissance level planning investigation based on the conceptual scheme initially presented. This study will also guide the configuration of the adjacent schemes.
• Mooi Regional Scheme - The pre-feasibility level planning investigation of the Greater Nottingham Road area, which includes the Mooi regional bulk pipeline to Msinga has been completed.

1. Challenges Highlighted by the Water Boards

• There is no co-ordination of work between the Water Boards and Water Service Authorities, and this creates tension and conflict between the two, in some instances.
• Topography of the province poses immense problems to the construction of water pipes to some areas.
• The blue gum trees use up a lot of water and this depletes the water resources in the area.
• Since the areas served by the Mhlathuze Board is largely rural, the lack of infrastructure poses a problem.

• Water tariffs must remain affordable and integrated into the IDPs.
• Risk on financial packages for schemes must be mitigated.
• Water Services Authorities must work in partnership with Water Boards, and take ownership of what is needed within their particular constituencies.
• Water Boards in provinces need to work together for effective service delivery. The principles outlined in the Constitution, State of the Nation Address, Millennium Development Goals should be regarded as the most important, rather than profit margins.
• There exists a need to share experiences and capacity with other Water Boards in the province, as well as Water Service Authorities, so that the water sector can be strengthened.

Mpumalanga Province has three district municipalities, namely, Ehlanzeni District Municipality based in Nelspruit, Nkangala District Municipality based in Middeleberg and Gert Sibanda based in Secunda. The province has 17 Local Municipalities, all of which are Water Service Authorities, and presently three are cross border municipalities (Kungwini, Greater Marble Hall and Secucuna).

An overview of the broad framework on issues of water and sanitation delivery, reflected the following:

• The Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) Branch aims to ensure access to water for economic development, in particular Agriculture. There is a need to delegate the IWRM to the local levels to redress the past imbalances.
• Sanitation Service Delivery – Progress: 2005/06 Bucket Eradication Programme – there are 34 bucket eradication projects running within five municipality areas in the Gert Sibande District Municipality. Of the 34 projects, 2 are VIP projects, while 32 are waterborne toilet projects. The current budget allocation for bucket eradication is R27 240 000. R834 000 has been spent on the VIP toilets and R7 397 000 for waterborne toilets from the 2005/06-budget allocation. From 30 June 2005, 203 VIP toilets have been built, 523 still under construction, 618 flush toilets have been built and 8 377 still to be constructed.
• Transfer Operations of schemes: (check details from original source)
• The Working for Water Programme has employed 3000 employees, 60% women, 5% disabled, 35% youth.

The challenges highlighted by DWAF incorporated the following:

• Municipal Issues: High indigent levels (as high as 80% per Water Services Authorities) were noted in some areas. Municipalities were under-staffed and in some cases had low capacity (Thembilise). Due to low rainfall, catchment areas were often stressed. In some instances, there is slow progress with Section 78 and Water Services Development Plans. The transfer of DWAF Water Schemes and setting up of newly acquired Water Service Authorities impact on municipalities. Municipalities are experiencing problems such as high indigency levels, free water, poor record of cost recovery, high consumption levels, inadequate water conservation and water demand management practices. Cross border municipalities pose problems in terms of service delivery. The MIG is insufficient and the capacity to achieve 2006 and 2010 targets may be problematic. At times, there is a lack of coordination by sector departments in the Project Consolidate initiative.
• Bucket Eradication: The budget for meeting the sanitation target is insufficient and may pose a problem. There are a number of strategic planning gaps in addressing the sanitation issues. The funding for sustainability of projects is limited. Within project management units, there are few sanitation experts in municipalities, and there appears to be a growing technical skills gap. The compliance with the MIG funding cannot be accessed, as there is no agreed format for technical feasibility studies. There is no stipulated sanitation component of the water services with the MIG allocation. Critical aspects of education, health and hygiene appear to be neglected under the MIG programme.
• Transfer Operations: Water tariff issues need to be addressed. There are no proper water management systems in place to guide the equal distribution of water.
• The Working for Water Programme: Contractors want to remain in the system even when they have completed their training. There have been allegations of corruption, nepotism and fronting on this project. Exit policies have been ignored.

It is therefore recommended that:

• Mechanisms should be set in place to delegate the IWRMs to the local levels.
• Systems need to be put in place to ensure equal distribution of water. Databases must be created to facilitate this process.
• The sanitation component has to be seriously viewed and placed into the IDPs.
• The MIG formula should be reworked so that other issues can be incorporated.
• DWAF has to assist the province to undertake a proper skills analysis with a view to capacitate.
• DWAF has to work jointly with the Department of Home Affairs with regard to movement of people across borders from neighbouring countries. In future, this may increase the population of particular provinces and will impact on the provision of water and sanitation.
• The transfer of schemes to municipalities needs to be more structured.
• A grey area that also needs redressing is the issue of bulk water services. Rules, regulations and systems of cooperation between bulk water services, water service authorities and providers need more systematic consideration.

In providing an overview on issues relating to water, sanitation and forestry, the MEC, the Honourable Mr J Mahlangu maintained that good working relations exist between the Departments of Local Government and Water Affairs and Forestry in the running of the water, sanitation and forestry projects. The Departments are working toward meeting the 2008 target for access to clean water, and 2010 for sanitation facilities.

In highlighting the challenges confronted by certain municipalities, he noted the following:

• The province has a huge shortage of water, as the Bronkhornspruit Dam cannot supply enough water for the area. A pipeline is being installed to address the water shortage.
• In some municipalities, the transfer of schemes are in the process of being completed. In other municipalities, there are problems of capacity and limited guidelines on how to proceed with projects.
• R1, 5 billion would be needed to meet the targets of the Millennium Development Goals.
• Findings show that the Nkangala District Municipality, Tembilise and Dr Moroka Local Municipalities have limited access to water.
• R75 million has been set aside to fund a project to eradicate approximately 20 000 bucket systems.
• The Govan Mbeki and Delmas Areas are experiencing problems to proceed with water and sanitation projects. The MEC has promised to meet with the Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry, Ms B Sonjica, to discuss the problems and to negotiate for more funding.

• Stronger guidelines need to be devised in terms of how municipalities proceed with projects.
• The Millennium Development Goals should be seriously considered in terms of service delivery on water and sanitation.
• Municipalities, to provide the optimum service, should use funding efficiently and appropriately.

A shift has been noted in the functioning of this Municipality since the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry arranged and implemented the Special Intervention Programme (SIP) in October 2004. The programme was set up to assist local municipalities implement their projects and undertake proper planning as Water Service Authorities.

In terms of transfers to the Municipality, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, that is Operations and Maintenance facilities are now with the Nkomazi Municipality as of the 1^st July 2005. All staff personnel of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, and the Ehlanzeni District Municipality will be officially transferred on the 1^st October 2005, as agreed during the road show at Tonga Offices.

In utilising the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG), the following was highlighted:

• The water projects implemented by the local Municipality, that of the Phakama Bulk Line, the Pipeline from Komati River to KamaQhekeze Reservoir are completed.
• The sanitation projects of 2004/05 are currently under construction and will be completed by the end of the 30^th September 2005.
• The Nkomazi Municipality has R17, 460 for water projects for the 2005/06 financial year, and is currently awaiting the approval of sanitation funds from DWAF for the 2005/06.

A draft of the WSDP is almost complete, was scrutinised by the Portfolio committee, and will be published for public participation. The IDP is part of this initiative.

The Nkomazi Municipality, with regard to Free Basic Services, according to the RDP standards, provides about 60% of water, but this is inadequate for communities. According to research undertaken, approximately 38% of water is lost every year.

The following successes were noted:

• There were useful DWAF intervention programmes to aid the technical assistants.
• A review of the WSDP is being undertaken.
• The compilation of a database for service providers is underway.
• The drafting of by-laws and policies has already commenced.
• A 5-year capital programme for projects has been done.
• A cost recovery programme has commenced and as of 1 August 2005, schools, clinics, police stations, hospitals and business sectors are being billed.
• All MIG projects utilise Chinese materials, provided by DWAF so as to speed up the process of cost recovery programme.

The following challenges were highlighted:

• The cost recovery programme is seen as a major challenge as the service providers do not have a start-up cost to implement the system, including data collection.
• The Municipality is in the process of formulating policies, that of Section 78 (DPLG) and Technical Reports (DWAF).

The plant supplies water to 3 000 households and intends increasing the supply to 3 900 households. The plant is on Phase 1, an upgrading process to increase the water supply to other households. R4 million has been allocated to run the project, and an additional R4 million is required to complete it. The targeted date for its completion is September 2005.

The Gert Sibande District Municipality comprises seven local municipalities. 72% of its budget is spent on water and sanitation projects. The officials from the District Municipality maintained that by 2006/07, all communities within the district will have access to clean water and proper sanitation.

The water backlogs in this District Municipality, reflecting the information on water services of households, as at 31 October 2004, shows the following:

The sanitation backlogs, as at 31 October 2004, reflected the following:

There are area taps and water meters have been installed. VIP toilets have been constructed. The District intends to convert VIPs to waterborne toilets when the budget permits.

The officials noted that the current water backlogs at this municipality stood at 31%, while for sanitation, the figure was 76%. To address the backlogs, the municipality required a budget of R124 465, 00 for water and R133 760, 00 for sanitation. The above percentages of backlogs are based on the 2001 Statistics South Africa figures, with an estimated 2% growth rate.

The challenges noted by this municipality encompassed the following:

• There is no metering system for free basic water, and there is an infrastructure backlog.
• If the millennium targets are to be met, the municipality needs additional financial resources.
• The municipality is struggling with management and monitoring tools in the operations and maintenance component of their work.
• The communities are not well informed about the procedures to follow when reporting leakages.

• More empirical research needs to be undertaken to strengthen databases on the provision or lack thereof of water and sanitation services.
• Other municipalities with best practices, in terms of the developing of monitoring and management tools should be asked to assist with this aspect.
• In terms of addressing the leakage problems, awareness campaigns must be undertaken by the officials so that communities understand the processes of informing municipalities/councils of any leakages in the area.

The STRIP project, renamed the Sibambisene Programme has as its objective:

• The introduction of water saving measures within the villages using the bulk of the water, so as to counter the cumulative effect experienced by downstream users.

Approximately, 35 – 45% of the area does not have adequate water supply. Most households have the basic level of water supply, and most households do not have a basic level of sanitation service.

The following challenges were noted in this municipality:

• The operation and maintenance of the distribution system in the Western Highveld Region is unsatisfactory.
• The condition of the distribution systems have deteriorated rapidly, leading to significant water losses, which results in uneven distribution of the available water supplies.
• Unclear institutional responsibilities result in a lack of accountability in terms of service delivery.
• There is hardly or limited focus on customer care or the importance of maintenance.
• There is no monitoring of illegal connections of water pipes.

The plant produces 6 ml of water for the supply of 4 local municipalities in Inkangala District Municipality.

The project produces material for the construction of VIP toilets in the Kabedi area.

The Buckbuckridge Water Board was established in 1997 in accordance with the Water Services Act, Act 108 of 1997. The Board is responsible for the provision of bulk water services to other water services institutions. The Board currently operates in Bohlabela District Municipality, and parts of the Mbombela Municipality area (serving about 1.2 million people).

Major achievements of this Board include the signing of two Memorandums of Understanding, one with Bohlabela District Municipality and the other with the South African Local Government Association (Mpumalanga).

Challenges confronting the above board comprise the following:

• Huge cost recovery, both bulk and retail levels.
• Severe drought conditions which have impacted on rivers and dams.
• The transfer of personnel was a long and tedious process.
• Compatibility of staff and infrastructure, in terms of meeting target outputs posed problems, with regard to the training of personnel, the new conditions of employment, staffing levels and the expertise of personnel.
• Lack of budget to implement capital projects (refurbishment, realignment of schemes for optimal use).
• The transfer of pension of employees has not as yet taken place.
• The signing of water service provider agreements with water services authorities is at times a problem.
• The external auditor gave a disclaimer to the Board during the 2003/04 financial year. The Board, together with the department, subsequently appointed a firm of auditors to conduct a forensic audit into the activities of the Board. The report from this Board claims that they are committed to clean governance, and thus reports from forensic auditors assist in the achievement of good governance.

The Water board was established in 1999. A management team was formed to ensure the functioning. Though DWAF transferred its assets, transfers were not properly managed, as the Board was not involved in this process. This Board needed the attention of the Minister at one point. The Minister, thereafter, formed a new Water Board that consisted of 3 Board Members from Rand Water and 3 from the then Water Board.

The Board confronts the following challenges:

• Insufficient funding to run the activities of the Board.
• There is a lack of technical expertise.
• There is a lack of capacity to municipalities served by the Board.
• There is no clear definition of bulk water.
• There is no clarity on the future of the Board.

• More proactive work to be undertaken by Water Boards, in consultation with WSAs and WSPs to strengthen water provision in this province. This could entail working toward rules, regulations, definitions and process that suit the needs of the communities serviced by these sectors.

The functions of the forestry sub-directorate can be divided into three main components, that of direct management of plantations and conservation areas, the development and restructuring. The sections that are responsible for these functions are: Commerical Forestry (plantation management), Indigenous Forest Management (management of conservation areas) and Forestry Advisory Services (development)

Commercial Forestry

Five plantations along the Drakensberg escarpment, namely Onverwacht, Welgevonden, Hebron, Salique and Mariepskop plantations (Lowveld Plantations). There are a total of 375 staff members.

A total of approximately 11 000 hectares has been planted with pine trees. Timber is contracted to two sawmills, York Lumber and Geldenhuys Sawmills.

Restructuring: These plantations are to be incorporated with the Blyde River Canyon National Park (BRCNP), to be proclaimed in September 2005. The plantations are being removed and the timber supply contracts have been cancelled for December 2006, and March 2007 respectively. Thus, final transfer will take place during the 2007/08 financial year.

Injaka Plantation: Has a total of 35 staff members. 1400 hectares have been planted with mainly gum trees and some pine trees. There is no fixed supply contract and the local contractors do harvesting on tender.

Restructuring: This plantation will be privatised to a BEE company to take over the plantation as a whole. This is envisaged for 2006.

Issues relating to commercial forestry: this function has no dedicated budget allocation due to the removal of this responsibility from the Forestry budget allocation from Treasury. It was anticipated that this asset would have been transferred to SAFCOL in 2001. This transfer did not take place because of the complications around the York Lumber contract and the development of the BRCNP. Only the national annual income of Forestry is made available by Treasury as a budget allocation for the Lowveld plantations. This asset can also not be transferred to the BRCNP without the necessary resources to manage it. The budgetary requirement is about R46 million for 2005/06, while the annual income of Forestry is approximately r40 million.

Bee Keeping Project

The Beekeepers’ Association (Bushbuckridge Association) was established in March 2000, with a composition of 9 members. Agriculture Research Council (ARC), Department of Water Affairs and forestry (DWAF), DACTS and the Danish International Developmental Agency (DANIDA) support this association. BEE keeping is ideal as a resource for poor farmers, as it requires low input costs and skills levels, minimum infrastructure and provides health products, and possible cash income opportunities.

Traditional healers formed associations, that is, the Vukuzenzele and Bophelong. DWAF, DANIDA, Mpumalanga Parks and the Agricultural research Council support the projects.

The objectives of the above initiative are to:

• Establish medicinal gardens and nurseries using traditional products. Processing and packaging of medicinal products such as creams, teas, powders, and capsules, according to categorised illnesses, are high priority of this venture.

The industry has great financial potential if fully developed.

The Participative Forest Management in Forest Management represents the communities. The forest management component provides training in mountaineering, leadership and small business skills for traditional healers. The team envisages beginning courses in environmental education. Global International NGO supports the team with food and transport.

The officials noted the following challenges:

• Due to inadequate equipment, there is not much success.
• Project run and initiated by a person with no knowledge of the areas.
• There is no support from the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry.

1. Department of Water Affairs and Forestry – Overview of Water and Sanitation

The arid climate and limited potential of water resources that naturally occur in the water management area are a major constraint. Both surface and groundwater sources are nearing full development and utilisation.

Approximately 30% of the population depend on ground water resources of variable quality. 87 settlements depend on groundwater resources. Over-exploitation of ground water sources in localised areas is a concern as 19 communities utilise 80% of resource. Large areas of the province are dependent on releases from the Upper Orange and Middle Vaal Catchment Management Areas. There are concerns about water quality in the Lower Vaal Catchment Management Area due to upstream activities.

The average per capita of water use in the Northern Cape is 146 litres per day with the minimum at 12 and the maximum at 657 litres per day. A number of rural communities in the Namakwe utilise less than 25 litres per day.

It is suggested that those communities utilising more than 200 litres per day should engage in water conservation activities. These communities are Dibeng, Kururman, Kathu, De Aar, Vanwyksvlei, Noupoort, Williston, Calvinia, Loxton, Philandersbron, Nieuwoudville, Riemvasmaak and Kenhardt.

The following was highlighted in terms of water quality in the province:

• The western areas of the province are characterised by poor ground water quality in range of Class 2 to Class 3.
• High levels of Flourides, Nitrates and salinity are found in a number of communities in the central and western region.
• In the coastal regions, desalination of ground water is practiced resulting in low availability and high cost of potable water.
• All surface water is of poor quality and has to be treated to be suitable for human consumption.
• Data sets must be improved to achieve a better perspective on water quality.
• A study was conducted during 2004/05 on the drinking water quality status in the Pixley ka Seme and Siyanda districts.
• The quality of water discharged – only Upington discharges directly into the river and regular audits are done on the quality of the water discharged. Kimberley discharges into Kamfersdam. Smaller towns make use of oxidation ponds. A licensing procedure is in place but in many cases, municipalities do not have resources to comply with this.

All local and district municipalities of the Northern Cape are Water Services Authorities (WSA). This is more than any other province (31 out of 170 or 18% of the national total), and including Moshaweng it is 32 WSAs. R35 million has been approved for capacity development building programmes being implemented in 13 WSA and another 4 plans have been committed for 2005/06.

All 26 clinics in Frances Baard have water on site, except for one (Phomolong clinic in Mogareng). All 42 clinics in Kgalagadi have a water supply on site. All Siyanda’s 34 clinics are served with an adequate water supply, except for one, which requires attention.

Some of the challenges highlighted in delivery of water at schools and clinics reflected the following:

• Schools: 44 (7%) of schools in the districts of Frances Baard, Pixley ka Seme, Kgalagadi, Namakwa and Siyanda do not have a water supply on the school site and 6 397 learners are affected. Although most schools have water on site, many require Operations and Maintenance interventions, as the water supply is not assured. No schools are on the 2005/06-project list of the Northern Cape Department of Education for water projects. The North West Department of Education has listed 6 schools in Moshaweng and Ga-Segonyana (to be transferred from Northern Cape) to be supplied with water in 2005/06.
• Clinics: Problems at Pixley ka Seme clinics are being experienced (total 24 clinics).
• Namakwa data outstanding.

483 (72%) schools with an enrolment of 219 242 (88%) learners have sanitation facilities that meet basic standards.

Sanitation has been addressed at clinics in Pixley ka Seme and Frances Baard. All clinics in Siyanda have flush sanitation, except for Riemvasmaak satellite clinic, which has no toilets.

Some of the challenges highlighted in delivery of sanitation at schools and clinics reflected the following:

• Schools: 133 schools are still without basic sanitation and 50 schools have mixed types of sanitation, for example, pits and flush toilets are in use. The monitoring and evaluation studies conducted in 2005 reveal that 13% of toilets at schools are not working, 32% EnviroLoos, 10% of all flush toilets and 1% pf VIP’s are non functional.
• Clinics: 9 of the 42 clinics in Kgalagadi have a sanitation supply that is below basic (21%).

• 90% of households have at least a basic supply of water in respect of a distance of 200m or closer to their homes.
• Basic sanitation is supplied to 74% of all households. In 2001, 67% households had a basic sanitation supply, and by 2005, the number of households had increased to 74%. The decrease in the backlog since 1996 is attributed to the efforts of all stakeholders, which include District Municipalities, DWAF, MIG and the Department of Housing and Local Government.

• 48 810 households living in settlements and towns are without basic sanitation facilities in 2005, and by 2010, another 18 390 new households will be formed that require services.
• Another 21 718 households living on farms were without a basic sanitation facility, and by 2010 another 617 households will be formed.
• Acceptance of dry sanitation in the arid Northern Cape requires attention, especially in areas that do not have sufficient water resources.
• Current reliable backlog data is lacking from some WSAs, as well as the monitoring of backlogs. This problem is evident due to the ongoing projects that address these backlogs, are implemented.
• To ensure sustainability, the planning of waterborne sanitation must include the household facility, network, treatment works and return of discharge to the environment.

Approximately 16 000 buckets still exist in four districts (Siyanda – 467, Namakwa – 1082, Frances Baard – 8900, Pixley ka Seme – 5643) of the Northern Cape.

• Progress has been made in eradicating bucket sanitation with bucket numbers halved in the past 10 years.

9. Recommendations

• Water backlogs at schools: There is a need for improved databases in terms of placing schools on project lists, if services are lacking.
• Water backlogs at clinics: There is a need for improved databases in terms of placing clinics on project lists, if services are lacking
• Sanitation at schools: A budgetary increase is needed to meet the targets of providing all schools with sanitation at the end of 2005. The Northern Cape can utilise the methods and practices of the North West in projecting the amount of money needed for targeted projects, with the inclusion of the two municipalities.
• Bucket sanitation: The 2006 target will not be met, and therefore this province needs to look at alternatives in terms of time frame.

1. Frances Baard District Municipality

Frances Baard is located in the northeastern region of the Northern Cape. Its head office is situated in Kimberley. The DM consists of four Category B municipalities, namely, Dikgatlong, Magareng, Phokwane and Sol Plaatjie. The DM also looks after a predominantly rural District Management Areas with two small settlements at Dan Carl and Koopmansfontein.

According to figures released in February 2005, access to water in this DM was 85,46%, access to sanitation totalled 90,97% and access to free basic water was 77,23%. The status of the WSAs and WSDP submission to DWAF was adopted at this stage of reporting.

1. Site Visit to Sol Plaatjie Local Municipality – SIDA-Northern Cape housing initiative

At the Galeshewe Project in the Sol Plaatjie Municipality, delegates were shown a SIDA-Northern Cape housing initiative, which utilised dry sanitation inside houses. Whilst the SIDA funded projects had running water and dry sanitation, the area opposite this project still utilised the bucket sanitation.

• Design and implementation of projects should include and incorporate all the residents of a particular community. Alternatives should be sought if people struggle to pay for services, but not providing any access to certain portions of the community is problematic.

Schmidtsdrift was used as a training camp by the then South Africa Defence Force (SADF) after the Batlaping Tribe had been forcefully moved out in terms of the legislation of the past. In tracing their origin he said they are the !Xû and the Khwe with roots in Namibia who were fighting side by side with the SADF against the liberation movements in Namibia during the struggle era. When Namibia became independent in 1990, the South African Defence Force (SADF) offered its erstwhile trackers sanctuary in a tent town it built for them on a windy plain in Schmidtsdrift in the Northern Cape.

Four years later, with the new democratic government, the San believed they would be given security of tenure there, but the land was judged to belong to the BaTlhaping, a Tswana group that had been removed from it decades earlier. The San at Platfontein were then relocated from the Schmidtsdrift tent town, which was established to house hundreds of San and their families who had previously worked for the former South African Defence Force as trackers.

The conditions of living in Schimidsdrift were never easy and they were living in tents since 1990. They were haunted by the fact that through the restitution process the Batlaping were claiming their land back. In 1995, Cabinet tasked the Department of Land Affairs to seek alternative land for the !Xû and the Khwe in Schmidtsdrift. Ultimately land at Platfontein was identified and an agreement to resettle the !Kû and the Khwe was reached.

Although the Departments of Land and Housing have begun the process of providing infrastructure and homes to the Platfontein community, the historical complexities of this displaced community of the !Xû and the Khwe pose immense problems on a social, economic and political level.

Whilst houses, according to RDP standard have been built, residents have refused to move into these houses, claiming that:

• The houses are of poor quality and incomplete.
• Dry sanitation methods are unacceptable to most people.
• Water to residents or 200m standpipes are not connected.
• Poor accessibility to health facilities.

The challenges noted by the councillors in addressing the concerns of this community are the following:

• The residents at Platfontein are resistant to any type of initiatives by the Municipality. Many refuse to move into houses.
• The clinic built was vandalised and due to the reasons cited above, the !Xû and the Khwe refuse to utilise the facilities provided.

• Negotiations and mediation should be looked at as possibilities to resolve the tensions in this community.

1. Site visit to Lindani or Transit Camp within the Sol Plaatjie Municipality

Whilst the municipality is working toward settled households in this area, communities have been shifted from one area to another after six month. Whilst sanitation is perceived as the first priority, this issue is being viewed in isolation from other service providers, such as housing, etc. Therefore, one finds a fragmented, disjointed and incomplete housing project.

The councillors maintained that the dry sanitation system was a temporary one and as soon as the infrastructure was formalised, then water borne systems will be the norm in this area. Communities, however, complained of the unacceptability of the dry sanitation method.

The councillors maintained that the illegal occupations from people outside the community poses major challenges to their allocations. There is also a major problem with vandalism in this community.

It is therefore recommended:

• Councillors should fast track the building of houses for these communities.
• An integrated approach between different sectors and departments should be the norm in ensuring that communities receive all services on time.

1. Kgalagadi District Municipality

Statistics obtained from this district municipality revealed that with regard to:

• Household water supply: 78% of households have at least a basic supply of water in respect of a distance of 200m or closer to their homes.
• Sanitation: Basic sanitation is supplied to 58% of all households.

The challenges noted by the district municipality reflected the following:

• Household water supply: 10 380 households living in settlements and towns do not have potable water within 200m from their homes
• Household sanitation: 19 628 households living in settlements and towns are without basic sanitation facilities in 2005. By 2010, another 6 101 new households will be formed that require services. Another 757 households living on farms were without a basic sanitation facility. By 2010, another 127 households will be formed. Acceptance of dry sanitation in the arid Northern Cape requires attention, especially in areas that do not have sufficient water resources. Current reliable backlog data is lacking from some WSAs, as well as the monitoring of backlogs as projects to address backlogs are being implemented. To ensure sustainability, the planning of waterborne sanitation must include the household facility, network, treatment works and return of discharge to the environment.

1. Site visits with officials and communities of the Gamagara Local Municipality and Ga Segonyana Local Municipality within the Kgalagadi District Municipality

The input from this visit revealed the following:

• The district municipality was identified by the President as a rural node, and is a water scarce area. This may worsen in the future.
• There are two types of sanitation schemes, that of a prefabricated VIP system and a self-build scheme.
• The progress on eradication of backlogs on sanitation was a problem in this area, and only 53% of delivery was undertaken.
• This district municipality is also a cross boundary municipality between the Northern Cape and North West, and poses a few challenges in terms of service delivery.
• Due to its poor background, there are large backlogs in water and sanitation delivery in this area.

1. Siyanda District Municipality

Statistics obtained from this district municipality revealed that with regard to:

• Household water supply: 91% of households have at least a basic supply of water in respect of a distance of 200m or closer to their homes.
• Sanitation: Basic sanitation is supplied to 75% of all households.

The challenges noted by the district municipality reflected the following:

• Household water supply: 1 588 households living in settlements and towns do not have potable water within 200m from their homes. Another 2 539 households living on farms are without a basic water supply. Current reliable backlog data, other than the distance criteria, is lacking. Backlog data of farms is reliant on the 2001 Census, while the settlement data is current (July 2005). The cost and implications of supplying water borne sanitation must be taken into account in the planning and provision of water supply.
• Household sanitation: 7 766 households living in settlements and towns are without basic sanitation facilities in 2005. By 2010 another 4 328 new households will be formed that require services. Another 7 021 households living on farms were without a basic sanitation facility, and by 2010, another 1 302 households will be formed. Acceptance of dry sanitation in the arid Northern Cape requires attention, especially in areas that do not have sufficient water resources. Current reliable backlog data is lacking from some WSAs, as well as the monitoring of backlogs as projects to address backlogs are being implemented. To ensure sustainability, the planning of waterborne sanitation must include the household facility, network, treatment works and return of discharge to the environment.

• The issue of farm workers being able to access water and sanitation facilities needs critical consideration. Negotiations and tax levies on farmers could be one way of providing this service to farms without a huge cost to the department or municipality.
• Databases need to be updated so that progress on delivery/non-delivery is noted.

1. Site visit with Mayors, Councillors, Project Leaders and community representatives of the Tsantsabane Local Municipality and Khara Hais Local Municipality within the Siyanda District Municipality

The input from this visit revealed the following:

• Sanitation facilities were made available to the communities, but as yet, is not of working order.
• No proper training was given to the community on how to use sanitation facilities.
• The disposal of waste from the sanitation facility posed a major challenge.

1. Site visit with the mayor, councillors, project leaders and community of Kai Garib at the Kakamas Area within the Siyanda District Municipality revealed the following:

The input from this visit revealed the following:

• In 2004.05, 11 bulk meters (zone meters) in Kakamas were installed to determine water loss.
• The bulk water service for 89 erven in Aughrabies was installed. Provision for another 22 stands were part of this project.
• Five hydrants for every block of 20 houses provided as most of the houses are structures built with reeds or wood and are frequently ravaged by fires/fire accidents.
• The UDS toilet projects that were recently completed comprised: 50 units in Aughrabies, 130 units in Alheit, 20 units in Lutzburg and 20 units in Cillier.
• Some residents are not utilising the UDS toilets in a proper manner, which leads to smelly toilets.
• The residents are not maintaining and cleaning the toilets in the correct way.

1. Working for Water Project in the Upington Area

The workers on this project noted the following challenges:

• Payment is often delayed and people wait a long time for their salaries.
• The training provided to effectively rid of alien species was insufficient.
• The people charged with this project do not have the capability to draft the exit policy.
• The issue of quality control has to be addressed.
• The quality of tools utilised for this project is not very good.
• Procurement and tendering to contractors for those projects need to be evaluated.

______________________________________________________________

1. Department of Water Affairs and Forestry in King William’s town

The officials from the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry from King Williams’s town briefed the Committee members about how the visit would be conducted between the Department, Communities as well as Councillors in order to have a coordinated visit to the Province within OR Tambo and Chris Hani District municipalities. The official from the Provincial Department of Water Affairs and Forestry indicated to the members that the oversight visit to the Eastern Cape would be fruitful to both the Department and the members of the Community and also to the Members as well.

The leader of the delegation from the Committee, Ms Manana indicated that the main purpose of visit by the Committee was to see the progress and processes that were being done by the Department as well as the Municipality in service delivery pertaining to the sanitation, building of latrines and forestation. The Committee would also be informed about the challenges that the Community was being faced.

• The Department of Water Affairs officials together with Councillors would accompany the visiting members of the Portfolio Committee on Water Affairs and Forestry.
• The Officials from the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry would coordinate all activities on the oversight visit by the members of the Portfolio Committee on Water Affairs and Forestry.

1. Regional Directorate of Water Quality Management Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, Eastern Cape Region

The members had a short briefing with the Regional Directorate of Water quality management in the Eastern Cape Region. The members were informed about the state of Duncan Village in terms of sanitation, water and conditions of Section B and C in Duncan Village. One of the officials informed the members that the problem with Duncan Village was the bad conditions of roads, limited washing facilities, slow bucket toilets, blocking water supplies and blocking drains.

The official also indicated that the Department of Engineering services and Water Quality management in the Buffalo City Municipality had some interventions in order to deal with the issues that were facing the community leaving in Duncan Village in Sections B and C. The interventions that were being made by the Department were

• Awareness campaigns
• Livelihood based approach
• Making of toilet paper by the community
• Provision of food to the Community

• The Members should visit the area so that to see as what was happening in the area of Duncan Village Section B and C.

1. Chris Hani District Municipality

The members were briefed by the Mayor of Chris Hani District Municipality about the communication that exists between the Province, District and the local Municipalities in terms of service delivery. The members were briefed about the project that the Municipality was engaged in. The Mayor briefed the Committee about Shiloh Irrigation Scheme. Members were informed that Shiloh irrigation Scheme was a project where members of the community within the areas surrounding Peddie were involved in irrigation scheme.

Chris Hani District Municipality noticed that the project was deteriorating and it was not serving the purpose of providing people with water. The Municipality decided to repair and renovate Shiloh dam for the purpose of providing clean running water as well as for irrigation purposes within the surrounding rural areas. The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry were assisting the Municipality.

In 2003 the Municipality was involved in ploughing maize, potatoes and beans. These products were marketed in East London. Campaigns to provide clean running water within the municipalities were being intensified. The Mayor also raised an issue where an indication was made that Ukhahlamba District Municipality was implementing the water project that was supposed to be implemented by Chris Hani District Municipality. The issue or the process was not communicated to the Municipality concerned

Members wanted clarity as how many people are employed in the scheme and who was financing those employees. Clarity was also sought on which department were involved in the scheme. Concerning provision of clean running water members wanted to know how many rural villages that were affected. What was statistics information concerning sanitation. What campaigns was the municipality involved in environmental cleaning.

It transpired that there were no exact figures as how many people were employed in the scheme since the people were working for themselves. Concerning the involvement of Departments in the scheme Departments of Agriculture, Water Affairs and Forestry and Social Development were identified. In regard to the villages that were not getting clean running water it emerged that 65% were not having access to clean running water and 70% were not getting sanitation

• The issue of Water Project being provided by Ukhahlamba District Municipality is investigated by the Chris Hani District municipality and a report be made available to the Committee
• A detailed report on the state of affairs on the activities of the Chris District Municipality will be made available to the Committee Members for their information

The major issues that the OR Tambo District Municipality was facing were the issue of providing water services to all municipalities that were forming part of the District Municipality. All Municipalities meter readings were not functioning properly except the one from King Sabata Dalindyebo. Another issue that was raised was the transfer of processing of timber from Highbury to Ugie. This had an effect in employment opportunities. The Municipality was not consulted when the process of transfer was made.

The OR Tambo District Municipality also raised an issue concerning uncooperative behaviour by the KSD Municipality in connection with the transfer of water and electricity services. Another issue that was raised was the issue of treatment of water in ponds at Prison. As there are overflow in the ponds the Directorate of the Engineering Services for KSD Municipality opened it into the river at night. A letter and a report were given to the Deputy Minister and the MEC for Local Government and Housing in the Eastern Cape for their consideration and attention and no response had been received as yet. The OR Tambo Municipality in rendering services to the Municipalities was experiencing a major backlog and the money that was needed was in the region of R2, 5 billion.

It was therefore recommended that:

• The issue of transfer of forestation from Umtata to Ugie is reported to the Minister.
• That a meeting between KSD Municipality and OR Tambo be convened in order to discuss the issue of overflow at Prison.

1. Lukhanji Local Municipality

The problem that has been encountered by Lukhanji Municipality was the issue of housing in terms of coordination between the Consultants and the Municipality. The condition of road was also the matter that was of concern to the Municipality. Condition of roads make impossible for the Municipality to efficiently and effectively provide services to the Communities

• That the Lukhanji Municipality must work in a coordinated effort with the District Municipality so that the problems that were being encountered are solved

7.6 Engcobo Municipality

The Municipality of Engcobo under Chris Hani District Municipality was experiencing the problem of electricity where many of the rural areas do not have electricity. The electricity supplier ESKOM promised to install electricity. But, later on came and indicate that there were no funds available. It further emerged that in the process of building of latrines members of the community were asked to pay for building sand and there was no money available.

The Community further informed the members that some areas were having hard rock and it’s difficult for the community to dig the required height of latrines. Concerning water provision it transpired that there was a tempering with water connections in that some of the community was involved in illegal connection of water. Further that water comes in and out and other locations are without clean water. The community was of the opinion that they were not informed about any new developments that affect the community

Members were also able to visit water borehole project during the visit to Engcobo Municipality. The water borehole project was done because it transpired that water was not enough to supply the people in the locality of Engcobo. Members were informed that that because of the long distance between the rural areas and the areas that were affected were Beyele, Qumanco, Lahlangubo and Lucecweni. The Municipality is commended for the initiative that the Municipality had undertaken in order to devise means and ways of providing clean running water.

• The Municipality must inform the community about any developments that were happening and affecting the community.
• The members of the community must attend the community meetings in order to be updated about any developments that affect them.

8.2 Buffalo City Ward 3 Sanitation Project

The Members visited Ward 3 within Amathole District Municipality. The Project that is involved in Ward 3 is building of latrines. The Project was started in 2004 and will end in March 2006. Project Steering Committee administers the Project with 15 women builders who were trained for 45 days.48 builders and 500 labourers are employed in the Project. In regard to operation 100 structures are build per month. Three structures were built per day and the cost is R2 100 for labour and material. After five-year period chemicals will be used to control overflow. Only concerns that were raised by the Community were that the progress was very slow and the Community was aware that suppliers of materials might cause the delay.

• The municipality must interact with the suppliers so that deliveries are made on time.

The Project that is involved in Ward 8 is provision of water to the community in Bongweni B Locality. The Reservoir has a water capacity of 540 000 kilolitres and is to operate soon. The Project would supply +-5000 people. The Project was financed by MEEG to a tune of R7 million and the budget ended on 30 June 2005. This amount of R7million had already been utilised and there was some further funds that will be needed in the region of +-R15 to 16 million in order to be able to supply entire Phase 1.The Community was only waiting for ESKOM to connect electricity probably by the end of September 2005.Meanwhile the local municipality was supplying the community with water tankers.

One of the Councillors who was briefing the Committee about Water Project in Thyefu indicated that the project started in August 2004 and was running smoothly. The main problem that was encountered by the community was the design structure of the Sandile dam. Further that the water tank that was supplying the community with water only came once and after 3 to 4 weeks and the water was not readily available to the most of the villages.

The Councillor informed the members that a sum of R4, 6 million was needed for the current financial year in order to complete supplying of water in Gcinisa and Ntsinekana localities being Phase 1. But the total amount that will be needed to cover all the villages will be R18 million including Phase 2. The projected finish is April 2006.The target that had been set by the government for supply of clean running water by 2008 will not be accomplished.

It was therefore recommended that:

• ESKOM be engaged in speeding up of connection so that water can be provided.

4. Buffalo City Ward 10 Sanitation Project

The problem that was faced by the community in Ward 10 in Sanitation Project was consultants and hard soil. It transpired that the consultants were involved in the Project in 2003 and was discharged in 2004 because of poor performance. Another problem was the soil type and this made somewhat impossible for the proper digging of latrine. Members were informed that another consultant has been appointed by the Regional Office and was waiting for approval

It was therefore recommended that:

• The issue of poor performance by the consultants in dealing with the projects is referred to the Department of Water Affairs and forestry for their attention.

Members visited Ward 12 and were informed that the Project of building latrines was started in 2003 to be completed in 2005. The problem that was encountered by the community was that the project is slow, no training was done, material shortage is also rife, and consultants are not available when needed to clarify certain issues. Another problem that the Community experiences was the fact that the consultants submit false reports to the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry indicating that a certain number of latrines had been completed yet the number on the ground is not the correct one. For example a report was given that 1400 latrines had been build whereas in the true sense only 120 had been completed.

The Duncan Village locality was encountering problem of bad conditions wherein 220 people were using 1 toilet, limited washing facilities, water supplies were blocking as well as drained system was not working, Members also observed the dirtiness in Duncan Village. The leader of the project addressed the Committee members about the work that was done by the volunteers as well as the problems that the volunteers were experiencing. The volunteers indicated that they were not working and they don’t have protective clothing in order for them to work. The volunteers also informed the members that they would like to get some incentives for the work that they were doing, as they were unemployed.

It was therefore recommended that:

A meeting is held with the Department of Engineering Services and Water management within the Buffalo City Municipality so that the issue of protective clothing is discussed.

The Committee Members, Officials from DWAF and Councillors from Amathole District Municipality visited Katberg forest. The members were briefed by the official who was in charge for the forest operation in Katberg. The area in Katberg in terms of forest plantation was that in Katberg there were 1600 hectors of area, Glen Can 1190 hectors Benholm 443 and Mankazana 190 hectors

Members were informed that trees that were planted there were:

• Pines species.
• Gum trees.
• Selling of poles at Mankazana plantation .

The members were also informed that everything was going well in the Forests at Katberg. Members were concerned about the name of the forest being Kat berg

It was therefore recommended that:

• The name of Katberg is changed, as it was not reflecting the present dispensation.

Members were briefed by the owner of Tyume Sawmill who informed the members that the Sawmill started operating in 1982 from Carthcath. The Sawmill had a staff component of 50% men and women with 86 permanently employed and 70-employed temporary. In terms of the production the company produces 100 to 150 cubic meters of cutting per day.

The production that was involved in Tyume is making of Windows, doors, ceiling materials and also other building materials.

The only concern raised by the Tyume Sawmill was that there was no cooperation between the small and big Sawmills.

The work that is being than by the owner of the Sawmill in terms of offering jobs to the local authority be commended

8. Shiloh Irrigation Scheme

The Committee members visited Shiloh irrigation scheme in Peddie. Members were able to see building of the pump station, which after completion would be able to pump water to another dam, which was being built, within Shiloh area. The project was started in April 2005 and would be completed in March 2006. In the project there were 37 unskilled personnel who are employed. In terms of budget allocation the members were informed that R14 million had been provided.

______________________________________________________________

South Africa is a long way through developing new policies following national and globally recognised best practices. However, the evolving water reforms that includes decentralisation, and the emergent problems encountered, also requires innovative strategies in reform, regulation and support for effective water services provision. A number of interventions and best practices that need to be addressed and reflected in water policy, law, institutions and management, internationally and nationally, reveal that the following is needed for the efficient functioning of water service institutions and their viability in rural and urban areas:

• Basic principles such as equity and efficiency in water distribution and allocation, water administration based on catchments, the need for holistic and integrated management approaches, the need to balance water use between socio-economic uses and uses to maintain ecosystem integrity.
• Clarification of the roles of the government, civil society and the private sector and their responsibilities regarding ownership, management and administration of water resources. Under this theme, the following should be included:
• Absence of conflicting water rights legislation.
• Effective mechanisms for intersectoral dialogue.
• Economic incentives.
• Mechanisms for the participation of the community or other stakeholders.
• Role of women in water management.
• The effects of vested interest.
• Mechanisms for coordination and conflict resolution.

At a practical level, and more particularly in the case of South Africa, practical management instruments should be developed to assist water managers. The importance of IWRM lies in selecting, adjusting and applying the right mix of tools for a given situation. Five categories, according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs publication, Governing Water Wisely for Sustainable Development, deserve special attention:

• Water resource assessment: comprising data collection networks, environmental impact assessment techniques and risk management tools, for example, for floods and droughts.
• Communication and information: raising awareness is often a potent instrument for improving management, particularly when accompanied by opportunities for informed stakeholder participation.
• Tools for water allocation and conflict resolution: allocation could be done through a mix of regulatory and market instruments based on valuation of costs and benefits; and conflict resolution tools could provide guidance on issues of upstream versus downstream, sector versus sector and human versus nature.
• Regulatory instruments: including direct controls such as land use plans and utility regulation, as well as economic instruments (prices, tariffs, subsidies and others) and encouragement of self-regulation, for example, by transparent benchmarking.
• Technology: both new and traditional technologies might provide scope for progress, within the water sector as well as in others that affect water demand.

Integrated management will need to tackle sectoral agencies protecting their traditional roles and responsibilities, as well as the problems of overlapping or conflicting legal mandates and responsibilities. The limited array of senior and powerful advocates for the concept of IWRM make it difficult to alter the well-entrenched existing water governance systems, which tend to reflect sectoral approaches.

As water-related services are extended to promote public health and food production, uncoordinated institutions can be confusing and lead to water resources depletion. It is equally alarming that in many countries, a large number of water supply and sanitation projects and water management policies continue to be developed in isolation from each other.

Effective water governance requires change in attitudes and behaviour among individuals, institutions, professionals, decision-makers – in short, among all involved. Participation by the public or stakeholders is an important tool in implementing such changes as it facilitates more informal decision-making and eases conflict resolution. It can also guarantee that voices of relatively powerless groups, such as women and indigenous people, are heard. Participation offers people the opportunity to meet their responsibilities, as well as the opportunity to claim their rights.

Key aspects of sustainability include empowerment of local people, self-reliance and social justice. These reflect concern about principles of equity, accountability and transparency. One way to incorporate these principles into real-life management is to move away from conventional forms of water governance, which have usually been dominated by a top-down approach, and professional experts in the government and the private sector, and move towards the bottom-up approach, which combines the experience, knowledge and understanding of various local groups and people.

Report to be considered.