DWS Consultation with Stakeholders on Faecal Sludge Management

The Department of Water and Sanitation is hosting a Faecal Sludge Management Workshop with all water and sanitation stakeholders in the Northern Cape. The workshop will be held in the Dawid Kruiper Local Municipality in Upington on Thursday,12 May 2022.

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has made strides in developing the National Faecal Sludge Management Strategy (NFSMS) for non-sewer sanitation systems, the National Sanitation Integrated Plan (NSIP) and the National Sanitation Framework (NSF). The consultative workshop will be a platform to share and solicit inputs from all stakeholders in the Northern Cape to further advance the framework.

As a result of disparities and inequity in access to sanitation services, the unintended consequences of sewer spillages and other sanitation challenges, the NFSMS, NSF and NSIP will be geared to implement radical changes in the water and sanitation sector.

Some of the issues under scrutiny are sanitation norms and standards that needs to be revised and tailored to address faecal sludge removal, dignity, especially of women, the elderly and the girl child.

Another thorn in the flesh has been the eradication of bucket toilets that have morphed into a moving target due to the mushrooming of informal settlements. Better forms of sanitation in terms of norms and standards will have to be implemented and enforced to ensure the total eradication of bucket toilets.

Furthermore, there is a need to strengthen support to Water Service Authorities like municipalities, that could be done through water and sanitation sector collaboration and partnerships. Participation by communities will also be strengthened by further enhancing water and sanitation forums.

Source: Government of South Africa