Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Mr David Mahlobo, has reiterated the importance of public-private partnerships in resolving long-standing water and sanitation challenges in the Mpumalanga province.

He said this when he officially opened a two-day Water and Sanitation Indaba held in Secunda, Mpumalanga province on 07-08 October 2025, where water and sanitation experts, municipalities, policy makers, researchers and academia converged under one roof to discuss critical water and sanitation management issues within the province.

The Water and Sanitation Indaba is a provincial water sector conference hosted by the private sector with the support of the government. The event was also attended by Mr Speedy Mashilo, the MEC for Human Settlements, Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs in Mpumalanga, Councillors Walter Mngomezulu and Nhlakanipho Zuma, the Executive Mayors of Gert Sibande District and Govin Mbeki Local Municipality.

During the deliberations, stakeholders from different sectors shared best practices to find identify opportunities, technological innovations and solutions to resolve water and sanitation-related challenges within the province of Mpumalanga. The deliberations also sought to address the five (5) resolutions adopted at the National Water and Sanitation Indaba in March this year.

The adopted resolutions were to establish delivery/implementation models; increase investment through finance options and ensuring financial viability of the sector; enhancing and strengthening technical and operational capacity and efficiency; building partnerships through building water sensitive and resilient communities; and fighting criminality and corruption in the water and sanitation sector.

Deputy Minister Mahlobo further encouraged the delegates attending the Indaba to come up with clear cut out declarations that will detail financial and implementation plans to improve water and sanitation in Mpumalanga province.

“In as much as this provincial conference is based on the resolutions taken at the National Water and Sanitation Indaba held earlier this year, it is important that you come up with your localised resolutions to address water and sanitation challenges facing the province. This is not the time to talk, but to implement resolutions for the benefit of the people of Mpumalanga”, said Deputy Minister Mahlobo.

The resolutions were indeed taken following the conclusion of the Indaba, and the following were declared:

Resolution 1: Delivery and or implementation Model

• Separation of functions between WSA and WSPs to solve water provision challenges
• Ringfencing water services within WSAs
• The emerging SPVs to be considered by Municipalities, in view of their financial viability
• Temporary water provision (water tankers) should be owned by Municipalities.

Resolution 2: Increase Investment and ensure Financial Viability

• Budget to address operation and maintenance (O&M)
• Ring-fencing of maintenance funds
• Plan to address gaps on investments and funding
• Mentioned different funding sources which can be explored by Municipalities are as:

– Grant funding
– Traditional funds
– Blended financing
– Private sector funding
– Green, blue bonds.

Resolution 3: Enhancing and Strengthening Technical and Operational Capacity and Efficiency

• Inviting professionals to bring forth solutions to water purification
• Capacity and skills shortage
• Inadequate technology for groundwater purification
• Attraction and retention of technical skills.
• Asset management.

Resolution 4: Partnership and Collaborations (Water sensitive and resilient communities)

• Integration with the Intergovernmental Forum, and private sector and civil society.
• Effective functioning of structures
• Monitoring and evaluation.

Resolution 5: Criminality and Corruption

• To have a strategic and integrated approach to curb theft, vandalism, water mafias and construction mafias – Anti-corruption strategy
• Apply technology implementation
• Signing of agreements with strategic partners such as SIU (SAPS)
• Improved awareness, such as campaigns, interviews, and media
• Establishment of water committees
• This resolution is to be elevated to be highest offices (presidency).