Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene November - December 2016 vol.11 No.6 | Page 8

NEWS in brief
He said: “It is also a well-known fact that Nigeria did not
achieve the targets of Millennium Development Goals,
MDGs, for water and sanitation. Some of the reasons
adduced for this include primarily, the lack of effective
coordination among stakeholders and the inability to
harness the required funds.
“Consequently, about 150,000 children under the age of 5
die annually from diarrhea-related diseases that are mostly
traceable to unsafe drinking water. The situation is even
more depressing in the rural areas where polluted ponds
and streams remain the only source of water for drinking
and other household chores. This trend must change!
“In Nigeria, successive governments, in collaboration with
development partners, have contributed to efforts geared
towards improving access to water supply and sanitation
services, and successes have been recorded in a number of
areas, with access to water supply currently at 69 per cent,
and sanitation at 29 per cent.
“This is still a far cry from what is needed. Indeed, within
an ever increasing population and a drive to self-sufficiency
in food production, the demand for water supply and
sanitation service will continue to increase thereby requiring
an innovative and holistic approach towards closing the
access gaps.”

Around Africa

The dam which is a popular destination for retirees and
tourists is now losing its appeal.
Resident Clem Pretorius says, “We noticed the pitch black
grime that came down the river, and the terrible smell …
then we got a lot of dead fish together with the debris.”
Some water sport enthusiasts and other tourists fear for
their health and have cancelled their holiday plans.
Hartbeespoort Tourism Chairman Iain Gunn says, “People
are scared of going to dirty places. A lot of the residents,
a lot of the business operators have been calling me, with
concerns that guests are phoning them that have prebooked accommodation out here for weekends, going into
full season now, saying will the dam be safe?”
Three sources of spillage have been identified. The first
occurred in September, with the last reported in late
October.
The Department of Water and Sanitation has confirmed
that the water is not safe for human consumption.

Osinbajo, who expressed happiness about the development,
thanked the Ministry for coming up with the policy.

Department of Water and Sanitation spokesperson Sputnik
Ratau says, “The content indicates that the water is not fit
for human consumption. But we have to also realise that
the communities around those areas are basically serviced
with portable water by the Madibeng Municipality which is
supplied with water after purification at the Hartebeespoort
Dam Water treatment plant.”

South Africa

Although measures have been implemented to address the
source of the spillage, rehabilitation of the contaminated
water, will take some time.

Residents worried over state of Hartbeespoort Dam
By Nicolene Smalman

“There was a programme to clear harties but that contract
came to an end at some point. Now, the issues around that
contract are currently at the CCMA because the workers
didn’t understand that the contract has come to an end. So
they’ve taken that forward. So until that process is finished,
we will be able to relook at how we can get a new process
going,” adds Ratau.
He said that the department’s Catchments Management
Agency will also assist in rehabilitating the water.

Sudan
People Dying of Thirst in Red Sea and Blue Nile
The Department of Water and Sanitation has confirmed that the water is not
safe for human consumption (SABC)

Business owners and residents of Hartbeespoort Dam,
North West, are at their wits’ end over the flow of raw
sewage into the dam.
It is one of the province’s biggest tourist attractions, but
prospective visitors are cancelling their holiday plans.
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Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • November - December 2016

Red Sea / Blue Nile — Sudanese Members of Parliament
have revealed that several people have died of thirst in the
Red Sea and Blue Nile states, where the shortage of clean
drinking water is acute.
Kothar El Atta, one of the MPs from the Blue Nile
constituencies has confirmed the death of people in
state. El Atta did not mention which localities, but asked
where the ‘Zero Thirst Project’ is, referring to the project