Category: South Africa Government

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has encouraged the Water Research Commission and other stakeholders to use the prestigious World Heritage Irrigation Structure (WHIS) Award recognising Douglas Weir as the best and historical irrigation structure globally.

This also a springboard for the improvement of the lives of the local community, particularly with regards to water supply and dignified sanitation.   

Majodina, together with Northern Cape Premier, Dr Zamani Saul, and Water Research Commission delegates, handed over the WHIS Award to the Orange-Vaal Water Users Association and a newly refurbished Douglas Water Treatment Works (WTW) to Siyancuma Local Municipality in the Pixley ka Seme District Municipality in the Northern Cape last week.

The WHIS Award is a prestigious designation given to historic irrigation structures by the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), and it recognises the cultural, historical, and technological significance of these structures. 

The award was handed over to South Africa last September at the 9th Asian Regional Conference of ICID in Sydney, Australia, to recognise a 134-year-old Douglas Weir as an engineering marvel that has pioneered irrigation-led rural development in the Northern Cape.

Douglas Weir was nominated by the South African National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (SANCID), and the award was accepted on behalf of the committee by ICID Vice-President and SANCID Chair, Prof Sylvester Mpandeli. 

A weir is a barrier across the width of a body of water that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the water level and is used to control the flow of water for rivers and other water resource structures. 

The weir is located at the confluence of the Vaal and Orange Rivers in Douglas, and is now documented in the ICID Register of World Heritage Structures as the world’s oldest irrigation structure with historical context.

This is the first time that a South African irrigation structure has received the award since the inception of the WHIS recognition category in 2012. The award was officially handed to the water users association as it is responsible for managing the water resource infrastructure.

“The global recognition given to Douglas Weir as the historic and cultural structure with engineering dexterity, should be used to do more for the community of Douglas.   

“There should be innovative structures that will bring an improvement to the supply of water and dignified sanitation to the local people and the surrounding areas. I call on the Water Research Commission and different stakeholders to make this site a hub for innovation for water and sanitation projects,” Majodina said. 

The call by Majodina to make use of the weir to create economic opportunities to improve the lives of the people of Douglas was acknowledged and reiterated by the Chairperson of the Board of Water Research Council, Dr Rethabile Melamu.

“The WHIS Award places us as the only third country to ever receive such an award. As we are formally bringing this award home to South Africa and particularly to the people of Douglas in the Northern Cape, we pledge to make this award a catalyst for economic development in the area and as the tool to improve on water and sanitation challenges in the area. 

“We will work with different stakeholders to ensure that this engineering marvel is used not only as an irrigation site, but as a boon to technological advances that will used to change the lives of the people of Douglas,” Melamu said. 

Majodina also handed over a refurbished Douglas Water Treatment Works, which serves as raw water abstraction point for water purification and supply to the town and surroundings. 

The existing purification plant was not operating efficiently, as it had exceeded its 30-year design life cycle and it needed urgent refurbishment. 

The R28 million revitalisation project scope entailed the refurbishment of the water purification plant, the general rehabilitation work of the plant and the installation of a 200KVA emergency generator. 

The Douglas water treatment plant initially supplied purified water with a design capacity of 3.8 megalitres per day (ML/pd) but was upgraded to supply 7 ML/pd to the population of 22 180 persons residing in 4 704 households within the area of Douglas.

Premier Saul said the handover of the Douglas plant demonstrates government’s commitment to service delivery and sustainable development. 

“The newly refurbished water treatment plant will ensure that the fundamental right of provision of clean and fresh water to every citizen of this country as it is enshrined in the Constitution,” said Premier Saul.   

“I should further add that great progress has been made to improve access to clean and drinkable water in the Northern Cape, with 84.4% households having access to safely managed sanitation and approximately 80.1% having access to piped water inside their dwellings.

“Just over 90% of households in the province rely on other sources such as springs and boreholes. These statistics assist us in understanding the trajectory of water and sanitation provision in the province, and it is also important to acknowledge the contribution made by the Department of Water and Sanitation to ensure service delivery is improved,” the Premier said. 

The Premier also applauded the historic recognition given to the Douglas Weir, which contributes to the irrigation of more than 8 000 hectares, supporting both crop production and livestock farming. 

“On behalf of the Northern Cape Provincial Government, I congratulate the farmers and the workers for the recognition that they have received with the internationally acclaimed WHIS Award. 

“Government upholds and gives due recognition to all the efforts that alleviate the impact of being a water-scarce province. As such, we wish to applaud the Orange-Vaal Water Users Association that is responsible for managing the infrastructure,” Premier added. – SAnews.gov.za

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has welcomed the move by the department’s entity, the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), to blacklist 40 contractors from doing business with the department and its entities.

The blacklisting spans from June 2024 to date. Macpherson said this sends a clear signal that the department is serious about acting against non-performance and it means that these contractors are now prohibited from bidding for tenders or being awarded work by the department. 

The Minister said this aligns with his vision of ensuring that the department is a professional and highly functional delivery unit, capable of providing high-quality economic infrastructure that will grow the economy and create jobs.

“The move to blacklist these non-performing contractors is exactly what we promised South Africans when I took office – that those who underperform or engage in corruption will be held accountable and removed from the system.

“The CIDB’s action to blacklist these contractors means we have put our words into action and send a clear message: the days of impunity are over… This is why we are turning over a new leaf by restoring accountability, cleaning up the industry, and ensuring public money delivers quality infrastructure that communities can rely on,” the Minister said.

The department is also refining its own processes to ensure that the blacklisting of non-performing companies happens more swiftly, and to recover money from contractors in order to safeguard public funds.

“Over the last year, we have worked to strengthen the department by filling key vacancies, introducing new accountability mechanisms, and tightening our procurement processes. These 40 blacklistings are proof that our reforms are working, but we are not done yet. 

“We are expediting our work to clean up the department and its entities to ensure that we can play a key role in building a better country for all South Africans,” Macpherson said. – SAnews.gov.za

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau has held talks with United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Jamieson Greer, in Washington DC, as part of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s directive to strengthen economic ties with South Africa’s key trade partner.

The meeting, which followed three days of technical discussions between senior officials from both sides, focused on priority issues in the bilateral trade relationship. 

Tau and Greer agreed on a roadmap to guide future engagements towards concluding ongoing processes.

“I will be briefing President Cyril Ramaphosa on the outcomes of the discussions and will then engage various stakeholders,” Tau said after the meeting.

The Minister remains in the US this week to support President Ramaphosa in trade-related engagements with American stakeholders, including members of Congress. President Ramaphosa will lead the South African delegation to the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York from 23 – 29 September.

READ | President Ramaphosa to lead SA delegation to UNGA80

The United States is South Africa’s second-largest trading partner, with total trade reaching US$15.1 billion in 2024. South Africa exported goods worth US$8.2 billion to the US last year, while imports from the US stood at US$6.9 billion. More than 600 US companies operate in South Africa, while over 22 South African firms are based in the US. — SAnews.gov.za

The Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster’s Crime Prevention Outreach in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, has resulted in the arrest of more than 100 suspects.

The programme, led by JCPS Ministers, included community engagements, school visits, raids on liquor outlets, stop-and-search operations, roadblocks, and parolee compliance inspections.

On Friday, various government departments, including the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Department of Correctional Services, the Department of Home Affairs, and municipal traffic services, carried out joint operations. These efforts led to:

• 56 wanted suspects arrested for serious crimes, including rape, murder, attempted murder, and armed robbery.

• 45 suspects arrested for other offences.

• 642 vehicles searched.

• 687 individuals searched.

• 75 undocumented foreign nationals arrested.

• Traffic fines amounting to R35 700 issued.

• Eight dangerous weapons seized.

• One firearm recovered.

• 23 suspects arrested for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and two for selling liquor without a licence.

The operations formed part of Operation Shanela II, under which Eastern Cape police have, since 1 April 2025, confiscated 756 illegal firearms and more than 8 000 rounds of ammunition. Of these, 181 firearms and 1 804 rounds of ammunition were seized within the OR Tambo District Municipality.

Deputy National Commissioner of Police, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, said Operation Shanela II continues to make progress in tackling crime.

“These ongoing operations, which focus on high-visibility policing, stop-and-searches and the tracing of wanted suspects, have resulted in thousands of arrests and the recovery of firearms, drugs, and stolen property across the country,” said General Mosikili. – SAnews.gov.za

Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Zuko Godlimpi will on Tuesday address the South Africa-China Trade and Investment Promotion Conference to be held at the Galagher Convention Center in Midrand, Johannesburg.

“The conference aims to foster strategic partnerships, enhance bilateral trade and explore investment opportunities between South Africa and China.

“It will also bring together senior business leaders and government representatives from China, and prominent South African companies across key sectors,” said the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition in a statement.

The Chinese delegation will include 400 leading enterprises, which will also exhibit their products at the venue, from 23-25 September 2025. – SAnews.gov.za