The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in the Northern Cape will on Thursday host a water use authorisation workshop with water users, focusing on the historically disadvantaged individuals (HDIs).

The session, to be held at Die Kasteel in Hartswater, is a follow up to the previous session, which focused mainly on water use authorisation and application processes to successfully obtain a water use licence.

The upcoming session, which will target mostly emerging farmers, small-scale mining, and the NGO sectors, will focus on getting water use licence holders to comply with water use licence conditions.

The department said sector partners, including the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform, will make available relevant experts from their departments.

“The private sector, which includes Standard Bank, Agrico, Kynoch and Bayer, among others, will present their programmes that support and empower HDIs,” the department said.

The legal framework for water use authorisation is guided by the National Water Act 36 of 1998 and water use licence regulations.

The department recently approved and handed over water use authorisation to the Batlhaping Ba-Ga-Mothibi Tribal Authority under the leadership of Her Majesty, Kgosi Ponatshego Mothibi. The Ba-Ga-Mothibi Traditional Council is responsible for 14 villages, which are now beneficiaries.

Consultation on National Water Resource Strategy edition 3

Meanwhile, the Department of Water and Sanitation in the Eastern Cape will on Wednesday host a consultation session on the National Water Resource Strategy edition 3 (NWRS-3) at the Premier Hotel in East London.

Some of the stakeholders in the water sector expected to attend the consultation session include the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, the South African Local Government Association and municipalities.

Cabinet has approved the National Water Resource Strategy 3 for gazetting and public consultation.

Source: South African Government News Agency