DWS to discuss water use authorisations with water users in the Northern Cape

The Department of Water and Sanitation in the Northern Cape will be hosting a water use authorisation workshop with water users focusing on the Historically Disadvantaged Individuals (HDI’s) most of whom are in the emerging farmers, small-scale mining, and non-governmental organisations sectors. The session will be held at Die Kasteel in Hartswater on Thursday, 8 September 2022.

The session in the Northern Cape will be a follow up to the previous session which focused mainly on the water use authorisation and application processes to successfully obtain a water use license. The upcoming session will focus on acclimatising water use license holders to their responsibility to comply with water use license conditions.

Of note is the recently approved and handed over water use authorisation by the Department of Water and Sanitation 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 fourteen villages which are now beneficiaries.

Sector partners will make available relevant experts from their departments including amongst others the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform, the Private Sector which includes Standard Bank, Agrico, Kynoch and Bayer amongst others to present their programmes that support and empower Historically Disadvantaged Individuals (HDI’s).

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

Source: Government of South Africa