Deputy Minister David Mahlobo hands over canoe trailer and encourages for water sport participation
The Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Mr David Mahlobo has encouraged the community of Thokozani, located in the vicinity of the Albert Falls Dam in Pietermaritzburg to participate in water sport, such as canoeing, as a means to boost the local economy and help with job creation.
Deputy Minister Mahlobo made the remarks during a community engagement held at the Albert Falls Hall on Tuesday, 29 August 2023, where he engaged with members of the public on water and sanitation matters, as well as the overall socio-economic issues affecting the community.
While addressing more than 300 people in attendance, with majority being female, Deputy Minister Mahlobo assured that plans are afoot to train local women cooperatives in all facets of environmental, water resource management and tourism, for meaningfully participation in economic opportunities in the water sector.
In a demonstration of this goal of local economic participation, Deputy Minister Mahlobo handed over a canoe trailer to the Thulani Mbanjwa Academy, which specialises in developing young people in Nagle Dam and surrounding areas by teaching young people about water survival skills, canoeing, and grooming further in the canoeing sport.
The hand over was done collaboratively with Msinsi Holdings, a subsidiary of Umngeni-uThukela Water responsible for the implementation pollution control and biodiversity management at more than ten dams located across the KwaZulu-Natal province. The trailers follow a recent donation by Msinsi Holdings of 10 canoes and 10 paddles.
“While this foundation (Thulani Mbanjwa Academy) is already doing amazing work in terms of promoting water safety among locals, we now want to ensure that they graduate to hosting tourists in their canoes in order to boost the local economy and help create jobs for locals in the area,” said Deputy Minister Mahlobo.
He also took the platform to assure the community that work is being carried out by the Department in the province to ensure water security.
Deputy Minister Mahlobo reinforced the Department’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6) which focuses on ensuring access to water and sanitation for all and urged that for the goals to be achieved by 2030 and beyond, collective effort is required.
“The achievement of all the SDG 6 indicators does not rest on one individual or institution, but a joint effort in supporting and strengthening participation of local communities to improve water and sanitation management is required,” he said.
He further urged for women empowerment in the sector, saying that the empowerment and involvement of women and girls into the integrated water resource management can facilitate general development of rural areas.
The handover of the canoe trailer was done on the side-lines of a women in water resource management ceremony, spearheaded by Msinsi Holding where a tribute was made to women holding the fort in the water sector to roll out biodiversity and water pollution prevention programmes in the uMshwathi Local Municipality
For more information, contact Wisane Mavasa, Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation on 060 561 8935 / mavasaw@dws.gov.za
