water

At least 32 people have died in Somalia after drinking water from a well that was believed to have been poisoned, officials said on Monday.

More than 10 other people were hospitalised after drinking the water in Masuubiye near the south-western city of Baidoa, regional senior official Hassan Hussein Elay said.

Elay accused the militant Islamist group al-Shabaab of poisoning the well.

"Al-Shabaab poisoned the waterhole to prevent government soldiers from drinking water there," he said, without providing details.

If you were caught unaware when water cuts hit Johannesburg suburbs on Thursday night you have yourself to blame – threats of drastic action against water wasters were issued months ago.

Johannesburg Water spokesperson Tidimalo Chuene said on Friday that notices relating to targeted water restrictions had been issued through radio and newspaper adverts‚ at community meetings and on its website and social media accounts as early as September.

Residents in Alberton‚ Benoni‚ Wattville‚ Brakpan‚ Gemiston‚ Boksburg‚ Tsakane and Duduza will be the first to be affected by the City of Ekurhuleni’s night-time water rationing.

The metro on Monday morning tweeted a link to a schedule‚ which shows that water will be cut to areas on every second night from 9pm to 5am.

The city said on Friday that it “has no choice but to take this drastic step as voluntary water saving measures by residents have averaged a savings rate of about 3.5% a week‚ a far cry from the required 15%”.

Stakeholders in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) have commended Water for People for holding a stakeholder review forum which creates deeper insight into nonprofit activity, fund distribution and impact.

Regional irrigation and water development officer for Southern Region, Phideria Moyo, says the forum is important as it will help in reviewing what is being done in the project areas as well as map the way forward on meeting the set target dates.

Oxfam, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has announced its upcoming developmental strategies to ensure good health, water, sanitation and better livelihood among the needy and vulnerable in Africa.

Oxfam West African Regional Director, Aboubacry Tall, points out that the organisation has plans to ensure that the poor and needy had access to food, clothing, shelter, potable water, good health care and education in Ghana and Africa as a whole.

The Japanese ambassador in Mozambique, Akira Mizutani, and representatives of the three NGOs - Fondazione Terre des Hommes, of Italy, OIKOS - Cooperation and Development of Portugal, and the Mozambican organisation Kulima - signed the financing agreements in Maputo.

85 337 dollars will be invested in a project implemented by Fondazione Terre des Hommes in Boane district, in Maputo province, which seeks to improve education, water supply and sanitation in four schools.

Water and sanitation minister, Nomvula Mokonyane's office urges Rand Water to work closer and to communicate better with communities regarding water supply interruptions and other challenges.

Speaking at a meeting with the board, Mokonyane reminds the board that “[as a member]… you have a responsibility towards the communities you serve."

The board had to close the gap between their commitment to communities and what was eventually delivered, it also had to look at their current way of doing things, and how it could possibly be changed for positive results.

A nationwide diarrhoea outbreak attributed to rotavirus claims the lives of nearly 40 young children in Swaziland during the past month and highlights the need for better sanitation and clean water in schools and homes.
 
Government social welfare officer in Manzini, Thab’sile Ndlovu, states that, “The link between poor water quality and child mortality is not a theoretical matter. We can see in the admissions rooms of hospitals how widespread the problem is.”
 

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) says South Africa’s intention to go ahead with shale gas exploration and more coal mining could have a devastating effect on South Africa's water supply.

In a press statement, WWF fresh water programme senior manager, Christine Colvin, states that critical water production areas and water systems are being threatened by coal mining.

Colvin adds: "The explosion of shale gas exploration in the Karoo will similarly disrupt the social fabric of this fragile area and we do not have clarity on how negative impacts will be dealt with."

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) says that government is not protecting water as a basic human right.

In its report on water and sanitation in South Africa, SAHRC points out that, "...water is viewed mainly as an economic good or commodity by government departments and the private sector."

The commission argues that the result is that most of South Africa's water is used by business, especially agribusiness, mining, and other industries, at a relatively lower cost per kilolitre than poor households.