Programme Directors, Mr Naidoo and Dr Moorosi,
The Honourable Minister of Water and Sanitation,
The Premier of Free State province,
Members of the Executive Council,
Executive Mayor of Mangaung,
Councillors present,
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Pretoria,
Leadership and Executives of Bloemwater service providers,
All invited guests.
Allow me to also greet you all this evening on behalf of the Water and Sanitation Family.
The dynamic and working family. It is indeed an unusual evening, an evening to launch South Africa’s first conduit hydropower facilities. This is not a tall story but a great story to tell.
Firstly I would like to take this opportunity and thank the Water Research Commission for their long term technical vision in the provision of water and sanitation facilities in our country.
Without your research expertise we would be lagging far behind other nations in innovation and technological development.
Secondly all the partners in this collaboration which currently includes the University of Pretoria, eThekwini Municipality, the City of Tshwane, Bloemwater, Water Research Commission, the Department of Water and Sanitation and, Government of Free State, the Consulting and Engineering Companies, all other Service Providers and the Mangaung Municipality.
Your joint efforts and cooperation has placed our country particularly the water sector at a higher level in the resolution of our energy situation and the provision of infrastructure for water and sanitation.
I am very much pleased with the involvement of the University of Pretoria especially the Engineering Faculty and their students working side by side with our municipalities in the delivery of these essential services.
Thirdly our political leadership as represented by the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Ms Nomvula Mokonyane and the Premier of the Free State Province Mr Ace Magashule.
It is only through political will that programmes like these can be unfolded in the service of the people and functional partnerships can be harnessed and embraced to achieve our set goals.
Lastly, ladies and gentlemen thanks must be given to you all as our guests, all the speakers, the organisers of this event and the members of the media.
Thank you very much to you all for gracing this occasion and celebrate with us another milestone in the history making process in our beloved country. It is through these sessions where we learn from each other.
Through you, the national significance of this momentous occasion will be communicated to many more than the ones present here today.
I thank you!
