WASH News Southern Africa
News feed maintained by information specialists from IRC and partners.
South Africa: minister launches National Sanitation & Hygiene Week 2008
27 May 08
On 26 May 2008, Mrs LB Hendricks, Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry, officially launched South Africa’s National Sanitation & Hygiene Week 2008. The minister called on senior national and local government officials at the gathering to help further develop the draft national action plan for sanitation, as agreed at AfricaSan 2008 in February.Mrs Hendriks [...]
South Africa: Engineering body moves to tackle national infrastructure crisis
27 May 08
The Engineering Council of South Africa (Ecsa) held a workshop on 6 May 2008 to discuss the national infrastructure crisis, which would inform the proceedings and the launch of the National Engineering Task Force (NETF) on 8 May 2008.The NETF would contribute to the development of a national engineering plan, focusing services such as electricity, [...]
South Africa: Court ruling on water sets “global precedent”
09 May 08
A landmark High Court ruling against a multimillion-dollar prepaid water scheme in South Africa’s largest township, Soweto, has been heralded as a global precedent in the struggle for the basic human right to water. The City of Johannesburg is expected to appeal the judgement and residents realise that “the struggle will not end anytime soon”.In [...]
South Africa: Strategic Framework on Water for Sustainable Growth and Development
07 May 08
The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) has invited public comment on the Strategic Framework on Water for Sustainable Development: Discussion document. The deadline for written comments is 30 May 2008.Source: Participation JunctionThe discussion document is quite frank about current failures/shortcomings in water and sanitation service delivery. Some quotes:“When 77 WSA managers surveyed for [...]
Mozambique - singer shines light on sanitation
23 Apr 08
Mozambican musician who campaigns for clean water and sanitation has been awarded a top environmental prize.Feliciano dos Santos won a Goldman Environmental Prize for using his music star status to raise awareness about health, water and HIV/Aids issues.Read More - BBC News
Mozambique: GPOBA Supports Water Services for Poor Households in Five Cities
22 Apr 08
Maputo, Mozambique – April 3, 2008 – The World Bank, acting as an administrator for the Global Partnership on Output-Based Aid (GPOBA), today signed a grant agreement with Mozambique’s Water Supply Assets and Investment Fund (FIPAG) for US$6 million to increase piped-water access for poor households living in five cities: Beira, Maputo, Nampula, Pemba, and [...]
South Africa: Masibambane III - Water Plan to Address Service Backlogs
20 Mar 08
A five-year programme is currently being devised to address the backlogs in water and sanitation services and to ensure the targets of the Millennium Development Goals will be met.Water Affairs and Forestry Minister Lindiwe Hendricks and the European Union (EU) ambassador to South Africa, Lodewijk Briet launched the Masibambane III programme at the National Water [...]
Angola: ‘Water for All’ Project to Cover 80 Percent of Population
20 Mar 08
The “Water for All” rural drinking water supply project will benefit about 80 percent of the country’s population, as from 2012, said minister of Energy and Waters, Botelho de Vasconcelos. He said the project will increase drinking water supply annually by 20 percent, so that 80 percent of the country’s population will get treated [...]
Botswana - Sanitation managers urge use of ‘wastewater’
20 Mar 08
The department of water affairs, local government, waste management and pollution control, crop production, environmental health and the University of Botswana have agreed to work together to achieve global sanitation targets.They made the pledge at a press conference at Cresta Lodge on Monday, marking the National Week on Sanitation celebrations, which will be held [...]
South Africa: DA Accuses Minister of ‘Denialism’ Over Looming Water Crisis
20 Mar 08
SA’s water supply was under serious threat and would lead to a crisis if the government did not make major investments to rehabilitate it, the Democratic Alliance (DA) said.DA MPs accused Water Affairs and Forestry Minister Lindiwe Hendricks of “denialism” for claiming there was no water crisis, and urged government not to ignore warning signals [...]
