National Sanitation Integrated Plan and Faecal Sludge Management Workshop

The Department of Water and Sanitation in the Northern Cape is meeting with various water and sanitation stakeholders in the province in a workshop on the National Sanitation Integrated Plan and Faecal Sludge Management Strategy.

The workshops that will be held on the 04 and 06 October 2022 in Kimberley and Upington respectively, are follow ups on the consultation process that was held in May 2022.

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) having consulted and solicited inputs from stakeholders has made strides in developing and advancing the National Faecal Sludge Management Strategy (NFSMS) for non-sewer sanitation systems, the National Sanitation Integrated Plan (NSIP) and the National Sanitation Framework (NSF).

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 need to be revised and tailored to address faecal sludge removal, the dignity of 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, which are the worst form of indignity.

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