Water Affairs and Forestry on signing of partnership agreement with
Water and Sanitation - African Region

7 August 2006

The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) has signed an agreement
of co-operation with Water and Sanitation -African Region (WSP-AF) with the
objective of attaining Millennium Development Goals through best practice
sharing. The WSP-AF, an international initiative undertaken and financed by
Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy,
Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, The United Kingdom,
the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and The World Bank, signed the
three year strategic co-operation alliance at the opening day of the
practitioners’ workshop ‘Mobilising Resources from Domestic Financial Markets
for Water Utilities in Africa’ held in Johannesburg from 7 to 9 August
2006.

WSP-AF has identified a number of principals in the African region with whom
to collaborate in order to further mutual goals. These targets include
attaining Millennium Development Goals in the water and sanitation environment
as well as strengthening WSP-AF’s governance mechanisms and increasing the
impact at country level of its work.

Recognising DWAF’s leading role and impressive achievements to date in the
water sector in South Africa, WSP-AF is confident that this new alliance with
DWAF will not only further their work in this country, but will assist with
their poverty reduction programmes throughout southern Africa and in other New
Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) countries.

Said J I Sindane, signatory to the agreement and Director-General, DWAF: “We
acknowledge and welcome the additional responsibility which this agreement
brings, not only in striving even harder to meet self imposed targets of
improved water and sanitation service delivery to our people, but also in the
new role we will play as part of WSP-AF’s regional advisory committee. We look
forward to collaborating with WSP-AF.”

WSP-AF’s Principal Regional Team Leader, P Cross, added: “DWAF’s track
record of innovative programmes such as Masibambane which support the WSS in
South Africa has impressed WSP-AF and we look forward to DWAF’s input and
assistance in our work in the region.”

Enquires:
Kalinga Pelpola
Director: Water Services Support and Programme Manager: Masibambane Water
Sector Support Programme
Tel: (012) 336 8797
Cell: 082 909 6696

Piers Cross
Principal Regional Team Leader
Water and Sanitation Program Africa (WSP-AF)
Cell: 082 796 0051

Issued by: Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
7 August 2006