Water Affairs and Forestry wins Vuna award

15 December 2006

The groundbreaking work done by DWAF to support municipalities to deliver
water and sanitation has won the department a coveted Vuna award.

DWAF was presented the award for the National Sector Department Providing
Exemplary Support to Local Government, at the national awards ceremony, held in
Sandton, Johannesburg this week. The award recognised the work done to support
municipalities in their constitutionally mandated responsibility to deliver
water and sanitation services.

“This award is recognition of the hard work that the department has been
doing to support the on-going consolidation of service delivery at the local
government level. It is satisfying to see the department’s efforts being
publicly recognised,” said Minister Lindiwe Hendricks.

“As far back as 1998, DWAF has been the lead department in supporting the
Integrated Development Planning process in local government. I think that our
department has shown the way in terms of how a national department should work
to support service delivery at the municipal level,” DWAF Director-General, Mr
Jabu Sindane, added.

All local government support is run through the department’s regional
offices via Local Government Water Sector Support Programme, which aims to
strengthen partnerships to accelerate local government service delivery.

The Minister has taken a hands-on approach to address the capacity problems
faced by many municipalities. Engineers have been seconded to municipalities
across the country to assist with bucket eradication and other infrastructural
challenges. In addition, drinking water quality management systems have been
put in place to assist municipalities to monitor water quality.

In terms of legislative compliance, DWAF has provided hands-on assistance
through the legislative checklist process to ensure that municipalities (Water
Services Authorities) comply with the legal requirements around water and
sanitation provision.

The Vuna award is the second award that DWAF has won in the past month. In
November the department was awarded the Public Sector Innovation award for the
Masibambane Sector Support Programme, at the Centre of Public Service
Innovation (CPSI) awards.

The Vuna awards are run annually by the Department of Provincial and Local
Government and recognise excellence within the local government sector. DWAF is
the first sector department to be awarded this prestigious award!

Enquiries:
Sbusiso Mthembu
Cell: 082 885 9697

Thandi Mapukata
Chief Director: Communications
Cell: 082 885 3324

Issued by: Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
15 December 2006