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The Impumelelo Innovations Award Trust team will be bringing its top award-winning public service projects from around the country to the Northern Cape, Kimberley. Northern Cape representatives from government, municipalities, media and civil society are invited to attend, to learn from award-winning projects working in the following areas: Environmental Education, Housing, Sanitation and Waste Management, Municipal Debt Relief and Urban Agriculture. 

Water Affairs director-general Pam Yako has been put on 'special lea' pending the outcome of an investigation into alleged financial irregularities within the department.

"No charges have been levelled against Ms Yako or any official of the department and, until informed otherwise by the outcome of the investigation, the director-general remains innocent," Water Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said on Wednesday.

A United Nations (UN) independent human rights expert, Catarina de Albuquerque, has praised Egypt for making great strides in improving access to drinking water and says the country is well-situated to address remaining challenges related to water and sanitation.

De Albuquerque, who was wrapping up her eight-day visit to the country, said: "The level of political and financial commitment to tackle these complicated issues is to be commended".

The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Buyelwa Sonjica, has no plans to scrap the controversial pre-paid water meters or to introduce more free water for the poor.

Although the ANC campaigned against the City of Cape Town’s pre-paid water meters in the run-up to the elections, Sonjica says her department is not opposed to the devices. “As long as the free basic water allocation is guaranteed, I wouldn’t quarrel with the pre-paid water system,” says Sonjica.