In a statement issued by The Young Water Professionals of South Africa (YWP-ZA), a division of the Water Institute of South Africa (WISA), Young Water Professionals have been urged by the institution to take a stand against the recent Xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

In the statement, Shanna Nienaber, YWP-ZA Chairperson said: “The Xenophobic events that have unfolded in South Africa over the last two weeks have been devastating to witness, and they have made me afraid and sad for this country that I love so much. The anger simmering beneath the surface in many fellow South Africans has deeply disturbed me. These events have also been a reminder of the ongoing challenges that we face in South Africa related to service delivery, crime, inequality, dignity and achieving a good life for all people in this country.”

She continued her impassioned plea by stating that, “given my passion for the South African water sector, I could not help but wonder what the impacts of these xenophobic events mean for our sector. For me, water is a powerful example of the deep interconnectedness and interdependence of African countries. Transboundary waters (e.g. shared rivers) contain 68 % of the area of the SADC region, provide for 74 % of the region’s people and constitute 91 % of the available surface water resources in the region. Essentially the management and use of water in our region must be carried out in a cooperative manner to ensure that all are apportioned their share. Similarly, water related problems such as pollution or water borne diseases have to be managed cooperatively as effects and impacts are transferred across borders along our rivers. Simply put, if you work in the water sector, you have a deep understanding of the need to work together across borders to manage a resource that we all need to survive and prosper. In this spirit of sharing, South Africa has vastly benefited from the inputs of academic and technical experts from all over Africa and the world, in the way we have designed infrastructure, responded to water sector problems, and built the knowledge base of our sector. Anything that damages the cooperative relations that South Africa has with other African water sectors is thus damaging to our sector.”

She reminded the Young Professionals that YWP-ZA is a network for any young person in South Africa who is passionate about water. This openness to all people in South Africa is deeply important from a human perspective but is also fundamental for driving a robust, responsive and strong water sector in South Africa.”

Response

When faced with the xenophobic events of the last days, many of us are left with a sense of not knowing where to start and not knowing what to do. That being said, we are all part of a family, a neighbourhood and a community somewhere, be this a social club, a religious community, your work place or some other network. We are also all part of conversations about xenophobia at this time. We are all members of the YWP community. It is in these community spaces that we are all responsible to make a difference and contribute to dealing with the devastating reality of xenophobia in our society.

Nienaber calls on all YWPs to stand up in support of a peaceful, diverse South Africa and make it clear that violence and hatred towards any person is unacceptable under any circumstances and wholly unconstructive in dealing with the problems that we face as a country. “Be the person in all conversations that never tolerates any kind of justification for xenophobia. Be the person to start conversations in your communities about how to talk and act respectfully towards all people. Be the person to help unpack how damaging xenophobia is to our communities, country and sector,” she says.

Africa-wide conference

In support of South Africa working with all African countries and people on water sector related problems, YWP-ZA is hosting the first Africa-wide YWP conference in November 2015. YWPs from all over Africa are welcome to join to this exciting event with open arms, in order to strengthen relations across international borders.