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Reference: 6/2/2/6
MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: QUESTION 584 FOR WRITTEN REPLY
A draft reply to the above mentioned question asked by Mrs H N Ndude (Cope)
is attached for your consideration.
ACTING DIRECTOR-GENERAL
DATE:
DRAFT REPLY APPROVED/AMENDED
MRS B E E MOLEWA, MP
MINISTER OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS
DATE:
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO 584
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 07 MARCH 2011
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 04)
584. Mrs H N Ndude (Cope) to ask the Minister of Water and Environmental
Affairs:
Whether, with reference to the 2009-10 annual report, her department
has facilitated interdepartmental meetings with the Departments of
Human Settlements, Energy and Cooperative Governance and Traditional
Affairs to achieve an integrated approach to water and sanitation
services; if not, why not; if so, (a) how many such meetings took
place, (b) what was on the agenda and (c) what common ground has been
achieved? NW598E
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REPLY:
(a) Yes, the Department has facilitated 16 interdepartmental
meetings between 2009 and 2010 with relevant sector departments,
including the Departments of Human Settlements, Energy and
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Provincial and
Local Governments, South African Local Government Association,
Public Entities, Civil Society and the private sector in pursuit
of an integrated approach to water and sanitation services.
(b) The themes or objectives reflected in Table1 below have guided
the agendas for the meetings; however, topics that are relevant
to this National Assembly Question are lifted and reflected
hereunder for easy reference.
Table 1: Meetings convened by the Department towards integrated
planning
|Objective/theme |Topic specific to question 584 |
|Mainstreaming Water as Central to |Strategic Oversight and Water Sector |
|Planning to promote Economic Growth |Response Towards Key Government |
|and Development in South Africa |Priorities |
| |Discussion towards planning for |
| |implementation: National and Provincial |
| |Water Sector Structures |
|Positioning Water at the Centre of |Identifying common priorities and |
|Planning and Development in South |influencing integrated planning and |
|Africa |alignment across key water use sectors |
|State of the Water Sector: Review of |Aligning strategic water sector planning|
|Key Activities and How these affect |with the national strategic planning |
|the achievement of set Sector Goals |Intersectoral alignment: high-level |
| |strategic issues to be incorporated in |
| |the strategic content of the revised |
| |National Water Resource Strategy |
|Exploring ways of improving inter and|Presentations by sector partners |
|intra sector- sector collaboration | |
|To reflect and share experiences and |Sharing perspectives and lessons from |
|lessons on effective responses to |Local Government service delivery |
|service delivery challenges at |challenges |
|municipal level | |
|Addressing the Challenges of Water |Highlights of service delivery outcomes |
|Losses-Mitigation and Control |linked to current Performance Management|
|Measures |System |
| |Sharing lessons from water leaks |
| |interventions: Achievements and |
| |Challenges |
|Working Together for Water Security |To promote integrated planning and |
|and Poverty Alleviation |coordination between all sector |
| |stakeholders in addressing provincial |
| |development and growth |
|Preparation of the Branch: Regions |Presentation by sector departments on |
|inputs into the Departmental |their key focus areas and indicators in |
|Strategic Plan |line with the relevant outcomes |
| | |
|Round table discussion on outcomes |Inputs from the Department on outcomes |
|based service delivery approach |and presentations by sector departments |
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(c) In all these interdepartmental meetings, the common ground was
the realisation of a need to put water at the centre of
developmental initiatives, which calls for integrated planning
to improve service delivery. Further, such meetings proved that
coordination is central and water sector forums are an effective
mechanism to achieve sector inputs and promotion of integrated
planning.
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