NEWS in brief
“That is part of issue we are putting in the document we
presented to the President. You know we subscribe to the
millennium development goals by last year 2015.
“We are supposed to have achieved 75% coverage for water
supply and a certain percent for sanitation. Unfortunately,
we are not able to meet that.
“We met the water supply by only 69% but we did very
poorly in sanitation. So, this 69% means over 50million
Nigerians still don’t have access to portable water and
sanitation.
Sierra Leone
Garbage Takes Over Portee Junction
Just after a short rain
recently, Portee Junction,
in the east end part of
the city, became a sea of
garbage, causing massive
traffic jam, with some
motorists being forced
A woman waits for customers in a Freetown to divert to the old road.
market
Consequently, residents
of the densely populated district have called on the Freetown
City Council (FCC) and private waste management company,
Masada, to clear the pile of dirt from the street.
According to a resident whose house is located very close to
the main highway, Alie Sesay, the community lacks proper
drainages, while some residents are in the habit of throwing
garbage on the street whenever it rains.
“I have galvanized some youths around the community to
clean up the garbage and we are now waiting for Masada to
clean up the street,” he said. Another resident, Mohamed
Kamara, blamed people who usually sweep the street at
night and leave the garbage behind.
“I am appealing to the government, especially the Ministry
of Health, to teach people hygiene, so that they will stop
throwing garbage in the street. The garbage has even
disturbed the movement of people and vehicles,” he told
our reporter.
Portee is one of the most deprived communities in the
densely populated eastern districts of Freetown, lacking
drainages and good roads. Thus, when it rains each year, the
community struggles with the sheer size of garbage and the
deluge in the street.
This, despite a multimillion Leones contract signed by
the government of Sierra Leone and Masada for garbage
collection in the city.
4
Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • May - June 2016
Around Africa
South Africa
Minister Nomvula Mokonyane Notes Remarkable
Water Supply Improvements
Press Release
The broad vision of the National Development Plan is
to ensure that by 2030, all South Africans have affordable
access to safe and sufficient water and decent sanitation to
live healthy and dignified lives.
3, 008, 202 people have been affected by drought in the
North West Province. This includes 809, 154 households
and 1 118 settlements. Some of the municipalities affected
by maladministration have improved since Minister of
Water and Sanitation, Ms Nomvula Mokonyane gave a
directive to Magalies Water and Sedibeng Water to turn the
water situation around, as well as implement critical drought
measures and long term solutions for water emergencies.
During her budget speech, Minister Mokonyane noted
the speedy recovery of water supply to the communities