Department of Water and Environmental Affairs, Free State

The Department of Water and Environmental Affairs, Free State Region, continues to play a major role in securing the nation's needs, through the sustainable use, development and protection of the province's water resources.

Legislative mandate

• Water Research Act 1971 (Act No 34 of 1971)
• National Water Act 1998 (Act No 36 of 1998)
• Water Services Act 1997 (Act No 108 of 1997)
• National Forests Act 1998 (Act No 84 of 1998)
• National Veld and Forest Fire Act, 1998 (Act No 101 of 1998)

Vision

A country that uses water and forests for social and economic activities productively and in a manner that is sustainable, and promotes the growth, development and prosperity of all people in order to achieve social justice and equity.

Mission
To serve the people of South Africa by:

• Guiding, leading and developing a legislative framework for regulating and controlling the water and forestry sectors.
• Conserving, managing and developing the water resources and forests in a scientific and environmentally sustainable manner in order to meet the social and economic needs of South Africa, both now and in the future.
• Ensuring that water services are provided to all South Africans in an efficient, cost-effective and sustainable manner.
• Managing and sustaining forests by using the best scientific practice in a participatory and sustainable manner.
• Educating the people of South Africa on ways to manage, conserve and sustain water and forest resources.
• Cooperating with all spheres of government in order to achieve the best and most integrated development in the country and region.
• Creating the best possible opportunities for employment, eradication of poverty and the promotion of equity, social development and democratic governance.

Description of main services

The Department of Water and Environmental Affairs is the custodian of South Africa's water and forestry resources, and is responsible for the formulation and implementation of policy governing sectors. Furthermore, it has the overriding responsibility for water and sanitation services provided by local government.

Water sector
The water sector strives to:

• Ensure that all South Africans gain access to clean water and safe sanitation.
• Promote effective and efficient water-resources management to ensure sustainable economic and social development.

Forestry sector
The forestry sector promotes the sustainable management of the country's natural forest resources and commercial forestry for the lasting benefit of the nation.

Water-use and regulation sector
The water-use and regulation sector works on the verification of water use, licensing and the rainwater-harvesting programme. It also assists in the War on Poverty initiatives.

Institutional establishment
This sector deals with the management of proto-catchment management areas and the facilitation of the establishment of Water Users' Associations, as well as the management of supply-chain management.

Corporate services
Corporate services renders support services to the department through human-resources management, communication, information technology and administration.

Finance
The finance department deals with the management of finances and financial accounting (payroll, expenditure and revenue) in the region.

Programmes and initiatives

The department has embarked on the following programmes and initiatives:

Blue Drop Strategy
The Department of Water and Environmental Affairs has drafted an incentive-based regulation strategy to assess municipalities in the management of drinking-water quality and waste water.

The Blue Drop status will inform consumers if the water in their towns is safe to drink and to know whether the waste water is managed and discharged in a sustainable, environmentally acceptable manner.

A municipality needs to comply with certain set criteria to obtain Blue Drop status. The criteria is based on budget, performance, operation and maintenance, skilled staff and implementation of water-quality monitoring programmes. Assessments will be done quarterly and the status quo will be made public biannually. The programme started in the Free State and it has now rolled out to other provinces.

Working for Water
The Working for Water Programme works in partnership with local communities (to whom it provides jobs), government departments (including the Department of Labour and the Department of Trade and Industry), research foundations and private companies.

Since its inception in 1995, Working for Water has cleared more than one million hectares of invasive alien plants and provided jobs and training to over 20 000 people from the most marginalised sectors of society each year.

The programme is globally recognised as one of the most outstanding environmental-conservation initiatives on the continent. It enjoys sustained political support for its job-creation efforts and its contribution to the fight against poverty.

River Health Programme
The River Health Programme (RHP) was initiated by the then Department of Water Affairs and Forestry in 1994. The aim is to serve as a source of information regarding the overall ecological status of river ecosystems in South Africa. The RHP primarily makes use of in-stream and riparian biological communities (fish, invertebrates and vegetation) to characterise the response of the aquatic environment to multiple disturbances. The rationale is that the integrity or health of the biota inhabiting the river ecosystems provides a direct and integrated measure of the health of the river as a whole.

Water Allocation Reform
South Africa is still facing inequities in access to water for productive purposes. Equitable access to water, and to the benefits derived from using water, is critical to eradicating poverty and promoting economic growth.

Water Allocation Reform (War) is the department's key programme for redressing these inequities. The programme aims to:

• Take steps to meet the water needs of historically disadvantaged individuals and the poor.
• Ensure participation by these groups in water-resources management.
• Promote the sustainable use of water resources.
• Promote the beneficial and efficient use of water in the public interest.

War encompasses a number of actions, including the provision of financial support to resourcepoor farmers, compulsory licensing to support the equitable (re)allocation of water in any catchment area, and the processing of licences and general authorisations to support the uptake of water by historically disadvantaged people.

CONTACT DETAILS

Key personnel:
• T Ntili, Free State Regional Head

Key contact people:
• P Ramunenyiwa, Director: Water Sector
• M Mahunonyane, Director: Institutional Establishment
• B Msane, Director: Water Use and Regulation

Physical address: 2nd Floor, Bloem Plaza Building, cnr Maitland and East Burger Streets, Bloemfontein 9301
Postal address: Private Bag X528, Bloemfontein 9300
Tel: +27 51 405 9000
Fax: +27 51 405 1115
Email: goitsemodimom@dwaf.gov.za
Website: www.dwaf.gov.za

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