Pretoria – Government is hard at work to develop solutions that enable effective, appropriate and environmentally sustainable removal of human waste, says Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Addressing the National Sanitation Indaba currently taking place at Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre, the Deputy President said the country is becoming more innovative in the use of natural resources.
“Through the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer programme, South Africa is emerging as a leader in the use of wind and solar power for electricity generation.
“Many in our country are desperate for safe, reliable and private sanitation. There are lessons in this programme for how we conserve water and how we manage waste,” the Deputy President said.
He also highlighted that South Africa has done well to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of halving the proportion of the population without basic sanitation well before the target of 2015, however, a lot of work still need to be done.
“The statistics show that our country has been increasing access to sanitation. But the pace of delivery remains a concern,” he said.
The purpose of the Indaba is to showcase the practical demonstration of cutting edge appropriate sanitation technologies that can be implemented in South Africa and Africa.
It also aims to provide an engagement space for communities on the feasibility of technology implementation as it pertains to their contexts, as well as developing a roadmap for scaling up of technologies and solutions.
According to the 2012 National Report on the Status of Sanitation Services, approximately 11% of South African households do not have adequate sanitation services. At least a quarter of households in formal areas have sanitation services that do not meet required standards.
Not all about flushing
The Deputy President emphasised that the Sanitation Indaba is not all about flushing, warning that if they continue to use the old flushing methods the country is placing huge pressure on its scarce water resources and the environment into which people flush their waste.
He commended the Department of Water and Sanitation for taking the lead through a technology fair and summit, adding that it will go a long way in generating awareness, stimulating innovation and promoting greater usage.
“We need to generate new sanitation solutions that are sustainable and will meet the country’s current and future needs. It [summit] will help to challenge conventional notions about sanitation and dispel concerns about the efficacy and reliability of new technology.
“We must acknowledge that sanitation is not merely about engineering, it is also about psychology, culture and social expectations. Unless we address the human side of sanitation provision, we will struggle to implement even the most innovative of solutions,” he said.
The Deputy President also challenged those who throw stones in frustration at the pace of service delivery to use those stones to build better communities.
He further challenged community leaders to mobilise the resources of the state and harness the energy of the people to attend to the most basic needs of those they represent.
“It is an undertaking that involves all three spheres of government. National government is responsible for drafting policy, high level planning and administration of the Bulk Infrastructure Grant and the National Sanitation Programme.
“Provincial government undertakes provincial level planning and ensuring the achievement of targets set for sanitation service delivery. Authorised district and local government institutions are responsible for providing sanitation services to people,” the Deputy Minister pointed out.
He emphasised that this is an undertaking that requires cooperation and collaboration between the state institutions and the various development agencies, NGOs and commercial enterprises working in this field.
“We seek a common outcome and so we need to align our efforts more effectively and exchange information more readily. This is an opportunity for all of us to use our talents, our creativity and our energy to give all South Africans a chance at a better life.” – SAnews.gov.za
