Following the launch of the Vhembe District Water and Sanitation Community Forum last year, local municipalities were encouraged to launch their own forums and work hard to address challenges relating to water and sanitation in their own jurisdictions.
Musina Municipality did not take the directive lightly as their local forum is one of the most active in the Vhembe District. The Musina Water and Sanitation Community Forum had a consultative meeting on Monday to draw up a comprehensive working plan and to update members on their successes, challenges and future service-delivery projects.
The meeting was also attended by representatives from the Department of Water and Sanitation, traditional leaders, community structures and ward committees.
The technical portfolio head at the Musina Municipality, Cllr Jeremia Khunwana, says the forum is very important because it bridges the gap between the government and communities. "Another aim of the forum is to promote a two-way flow of information about the provision of reliable water and sanitation services to the communities as well as a platform to engage on envisaged developments, challenges and progress. We have developed a working plan and schedules of continuous meetings, so that we can play our ambassadorial roles in advocating water and sanitation issues and water conservation in the Musina municipal area."
Khunwana said the municipality was happy because local communities were now realising the importance of the effectiveness of water and sanitation community forums as platforms to articulate their grievances on service delivery. "Our forum is largely community-driven, and it empowers aggrieved residents to have a say in the management of water matters. We have no doubt that it will help to alleviate and reduce service delivery protests as it will provide communities with a voice in the management and delivery of water and sanitation services in their own areas."
Khunwana said the Musina Water and Sanitation Community Forum would assist in detecting water leaks and reporting malfunctioning boreholes, sewage spillage, illegal connections, theft and vandalism of infrastructure. "It also assists with campaigns to educate communities about saving water and changing daily habits to make sure that water is preserved and conserved," he concluded.