Councillors water-savvy | News24

Pictured are DWS’s Sammy Saaiman and Swartland councillor Michael Schaffers listening attentively to the lecture at the wastewater treatment plant.

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), in partnership with the South African Local Government Association (Salga) held a two-day training workshop for councillors in the West Coast District municipal area on 16 and 17 May.

Councillors from surrounding municipalities, including Saldanha Bay, attended the workshop, held at the Swartland Municipality’s headquarters in Malmesbury.

Its purpose was to equip councillors with water and sanitation business.

The first day of training focused on the theory of water management from rain to the tap and back.

On the second day councillors were taken to a wastewater treatment plant so see how used water was cleaned and purified before being used again.

According to the Western Cape Director of Regulation Debbie Hene the water and sanitation business is managing fresh water from the rain to the dam all the way to the tap and used water back to the rivers.

“This includes managing used water from the households and factories back to the rivers,” she explained.

It is very important for councillors to understand the water and sanitation business so that they can excel in their oversight role and assist councils in making informed decisions.

Once they understand the water and sanitation business, they will be able to not only play oversight roles, but also be instrumental in setting policies that will improve water and sanitation in their councils.”

One of the key messages Hene delivered to the councillors was the importance of planning.

“Planning and more planning are very key if you want to get any assistance from government,” she stressed.

“For example, if you want money to build or improve water and sanitation infrastructure that must be in your plans.”

This intensive workshop covered topics such as the legislative frameworks that govern the water and sanitation business, compliance and enforcement, social and economic regulation and infrastructure programmes.

The Western Cape’s Deputy Director of Capacity Building in the Department of Water and Sanitation Zolile Simawo said this training was part of an on-going programme targeted at all municipalities.

“We started by training all councillors responsible for the water and sanitation portfolio in among all 25 water-services authorities (municipalities) in the Western Cape, and now we are training councillors from all councils,” he said.

The next training is scheduled for the Garden Route District Municipality in June.