Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene January - February 2016 vol.11 no.1 | Page 8

NEWS in brief Around Africa This comes as much of South Africa remains in the grips of the worst drought in two decades. Water levels at the country’s dams continue to fall. Mokonyane visited Mbhashe local municipality in Dutywa to assess water security. She is also handed over much needed water tankers to desperate residents. Nomvula Mokonyane visited Mbhashe local municipality in Dutywa to assess water security. The minister says she believes the intervention will address the crisis. “We have now since agreed that we are going to bring in teams together with MEC (Fikile) Xasa that will deal with Dam safety that will fill assessment of these two sites and whether to proclaim them as dams because they belong to the municipality and second thing is that municipalities must give us information about the dams that they belong to them so that we assess whether they are up to standard. Tanzania Tanzania to Get Sh3 Trillion for Massive Water Project Dar es Salaam — Minister for Water and Irrigation, Hon. Eng. Gerson Lwenge assured citizens that by 2020 , the lack of clean water in parts Tanzania- especially in rural areas- will be over. Tanzanians, especially those in rural Hon. Eng. Gerson areas have had to deal with lack of Lwenge water and struggle on a daily basis to secure safe drinking water by walking kilometers and endangering their lives in crocodile invested rivers. Eng. Lwenge said donors from different parts of the world like World Bank, Bank of Africa and Bank of France have confirmed that they will provide US dollar 1.4 billion around TSh3 trillion to help solve the country’s water problem. Sudan He said his ministry needs TSh6 trillion to reach this goal but the TSh3 trillion from donors will help in making sure that the project starts soon as the government budget for the water ministry is not yet planned until parliamentary sessions begin soon. AfDB and Sudan launch US $26-million Water Sector Reform for West Kordofan State Uganda Mbale Cholera Cases Rise to 110 Mbale — Authorities in Mbale District have expressed concern over the rising cases of cholera. Waterhole in West Kordofan Ihe African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government of Sudan launched the US $26-million Water Sector Reforms and Institutional Capacity Development project, which will benefit West Kordofan State and some federal water sector institutions. The project is funded with an AfDB grant of US $22 million over the next five years, financed from the Bank’s Transitional Support Facility and its Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative. The event was presided over by the Director of Drinking Water and Sanitation Unit (DWSU) at the Ministry of Water Resources and the AfDB Resident Representative Abdul Kamara. It was attended by representatives of federal Government of Sudan, West Kordofan State and various stakeholders and beneficiaries. 6 Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • January - February 2016 Acting district health officer Jonathan Wangisi said since the epidemic broke out in December, cases have shot up from 56 to 110 while five people have died. War against cholera. Dr Wangisi said at least four new cases are registered every day. “The cumulative figures of cholera are worrying. This is compounded by many factors, and among them is lack of clean water in many areas,” he said. Dr Wangisi said the most affected is Bunghokho-Mutoto which has contaminated water sources and no pit-latrines. The district health officer said some private clinics admit suspected cholera victims without referring them to the isolation centres.