SAHRC to table their water and sanitation report to Parliament

Isaac Mangena - From the South African Human Rights Commission joined us on the line to tell us more about their report on water and sanitation. It appears that Government departments are committed to ensuring complaints are speedily addressed by using their independent mandates and inter-governmental co-operation. This emerged during a defining meeting by the SAHRC with Government departments regarding the commission’s water and sanitation report and in light of the recent serious service delivery breakdown and toilet saga in several parts of SA and a perceived lack of government accountability. The report’s findings included the lack of access to water for the poorest communities in the country; the poor quality of water; the lack of sanitation services in informal settlements, poor maintenance of existing facilities, lack of effective monitoring of private companies contracted to provide services and the effect of mining and agri-business activities on water supply. Its recommendations included a comprehensive, inter-governmental collaborative approach to resolving the water and sanitation crisis in schools and communities, a cabinet-level task team to ensure the necessary collaboration, especially with regard to funding and technical support in poor municipalities and a funding model that allows municipalities to provide the water and sanitation services that citizens are entitled to. The report will be tabled in Parliament and be available to the public. For further information you can contact the SAHRC on (011) 877 3600 or send an email to info@sahrc.org.za alternatively visit www.sahrc.org.za