Deputy Minister Tshabalala participates in high-level Ministerial panel discussions on water and sanitation challenges faced by the African continent
Deputy Minister Judith Tshabalala participated in the Africa Focus Session together with African Ministers of Water and Sanitation from Egypt and Namibia, Prof Dr Hani Sewilam and His Excellency Carl Hermann Schlewein respectively, at the Stockholm World Water Week.
The "Africa Focus Day" served as a platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration, bringing together water leaders and policymakers, experts, innovators, civil society, academia and other stakeholders across Africa and beyond.
The session aimed at fostering partnerships for translating water and sanitation commitments into tangible improvements in the lives of all in Africa and beyond. Therefore, the outcomes of deliberations shall inform ongoing efforts to accelerate the achievement of water and sanitation goals in Africa.
Deputy Minister Tshabalala said the Department of Water and Sanitation manages water resources in a balanced approach to ensure their sustainability and economic growth in the country.
She further said that our water resources determine how South Africa experience and respond to climate change. The climate challenge has brought innovative approaches to water services, such as looking at water infrastructure and sources from a multiple water-use perspective.
“The recent water shortages attributed to climate change saw innovation through partnerships and the use of technology to optimise the use of available water resources and access to new water sources. Water resources are also managed in a balanced approach to ensure their sustainability and economic growth” said Deputy Minister Tshabalala.
Deputy Minister Tshabalala also highlighted that South Africa is working to expedite the realisation of the SDG6 concerning sanitation and hygiene by 2030, paying special attention to the needs of women, girls, and those in vulnerable situations.
“The right to have access to water and basic sanitation is enshrined in our South African democratic constitution. In line with our Constitution, South Africa has developed the National Sanitation Policy that endorses the national sanitation targets as outlined in our National Development Plan and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals”, she said.
The 2023 annual gathering of the World Water Week happens when Africa is at its highest, in rolling out the Africa Investments Programme (AIP), which is led by the International High Panel on Water Investment, comprised of sitting Head of States, UN entities and African Union entities.
The discussions in Africa Focus Day will foster alliances that transcend beyond borders and also map a trajectory toward a future where sanitation and hygiene are universally attainable, regardless of socioeconomic standing or geographical location.
The resolutions will be endorsed and adopted by the African Union and AMCOW, as a Ministerial council that engages on all initiatives that will take Africa’s water sector forward, reaffirming the Departmental mantra that says “Sanitation is Dignity “.
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