The Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation Ms Dikeledi Magadzi has called on Southern African Development Community (SADC) to report regularly and indicate specific funding that is coming through in order to ensure that members states are conversant about projects that are undertaken.

Deputy Minister Magadzi was speaking during the 40th joint committee of Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ministers meeting responsible for energy and water held virtually on Thursday, 02 December 2021 in the republic of Malawi.

This assembly of SADC Ministers was arranged for the common purpose of constructing some practical and feasible solutions to resolve amongst others, the financing of the regional energy and water projects. The high-level gathering was also convened to lay out a strategic direction which seeks to allow Ministers to evaluate development and take firm decisions on water and energy projects.

Some of the major issues that were under the microscope during the engagement were SADC Groundwater Management Programme which seeks to support sustainable management of groundwater at national and transboundary levels across SADC countries.

The adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which has exacerbated the challenge of water security were also discussed extensively. 

“South Africa supports decisions on SADC-Ground Water Management (SADC-GMI) and we further stress the importance of strengthening the GMI and its related networks in the region and the rest of the continent” said Deputy Minister Magadzi.

Deputy Minister Magadzi reaffirmed the importance of being appraised as member states about the total number of projects that are currently taking place and the amount of money that is being allocated in those projects for transparency purposes.

“As member states we need to be made aware of who is funding who and where, as well as the type of projects that are happening on the ground” Magadzi emphasised.

During the engagements, it was revealed that the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) has been appointed as the project executing agency of SADC Regional Fund for Water Infrastructure and Basic Sanitation which is aimed at strengthening the coordination function of SADC in the water sector. This agency will go a long way in far as improving regional water infrastructure is concerned.

Issued by Department of Water and Sanitation