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The National Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is consulting all stakeholders on a draft of the National Faecal Sludge Management Strategy, boosting the notion "Water is Life, Sanitation is Dignity”. Consultations began in George yesterday and are currently taking place in Stellenbosch.

According to DWS Western Cape Deputy Director of Sanitation Services, Mchumane Hlazo, this is in response to 2016 National Sanitation Policy and Water and Sanitation Master Plan requirements. The DWS is developing the National Faecal Sludge Management Strategy (NFSMS) for onsite sanitation systems throughout the entire sanitation value chain.

To date, the second draft of the NFSMS has been completed and is currently being presented to stakeholders to obtain inputs. The second intention is to provide opportunity to the sector to discuss the results of Status Quo Analysis from data received from Provincial Stakeholders and identify key issues and root causes contributing to the status of sanitation.

At the heart of the NFSMS are the following sanitation value chain positions

• Capture and containment
• Emptying and transport to ensure safe, affordable, and sustainable emptying and transport services are available to all users of onsite sanitation systems
• Treatment to ensure that all faecal sludge is safely received and treated at appropriate treatment facilities
• End use and disposal to establish an enabling framework for the beneficial use of faecal sludge products / safe disposal of faecal waste.

Meanwhile, the DWS is reviving the Provincial Sanitation Task Teams. The Provincial Sanitation Task Teams will be constituted of various National Government Departments, Provincial Government, Local Government, Non-Governmental Organisations, and Institutions of Higher Learning.

The Provincial Sanitation Task Team will among other things ensure coordinated efforts geared towards ensuring improved sanitation to restore the dignity of communities.

The National Faecal Sludge Management Strategy will be finalised early next year and implemented immediately.

“Water is Life, Sanitation is Dignity”

Issued by Department of Water and Sanitation