MPUMALANGA WATER CAUCUS (MPWC) - LOWVELD & HIGHVELD REGIONS MEET

REPORTS By December Ndlovhu & BAFANA HLATSHWAYO

The MPWC is a network of organisations, individuals, and institutions that have an interest in and knowledge of water and environmental conservation. The network is divided into two regions, Highveld, and Lowveld. The Lowveld is further divided into two sub-regions, Nkomazi and Bushbuckridge.

LOWVELD – NKOMAZI WATER CAUCUS REGIONAL MEETING:

On the 20th of February, the Nkomazi chapter of the MPWC met in the Steenbok Tribal office to reflect on last year’s resolutions and plan for the year. The meeting focused on:

  • SOUTH AFRICAN WATER CAUCUS (SAWC) BIANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (BGM): Excitement was expressed that the BGM was held again after some stumbling blocks in recent years, including the emergence of the COVID-19 outbreak. The MPWC noted the support of the SAWC Secretariat EMG for the solidarity with MPWC.

    The BGM was held in Polokwane from the 26th – 29th of November 2022, and the resolutions of the BGM were read and discussed.

  •   MPWC – NKOMAZI REGION ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES:

    It was noted that there are many challenges facing Nkomazi, ranging from water pollution, and water shortages to household waste, these are ongoing. It was the emergence of COVID-19 that made MPWC members aware that we have serious food insecurity and potable water shortages. It was for this reason that Nkomazi and Bushbuckridge regions took the decision to establish home food gardens to curb food insecurity and revive indigenous knowledge.

    Home food gardens and integration of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) are central to our approach to water and environmental conservation of natural resources. IKS is important for MPWC to have sustainable solutions for water and environmental conservation activities.

  • NKOMAZI WATER CAUCUS PLANS FOR 2023 - The meeting discussed environmental activities and preferred activities:

1.      Home gardens: It was the emergence of COVID-19 that explicitly and harshly reminded us of the reality that we have water and food insecurity challenges that we are facing as a country, it was a very loud wake-up call for most of us. In some areas, there was no water even during COVID-19. The food parcels never reached many households until a nongovernmental organisation (NGO) intervened in the Bushbuckridge, Nkomazi, and Highveld areas. It is because of this experience that MPWC took the decision to encourage its members to develop organic gardens in their yards, instead of planting lawns and flowers. Home gardens are very important for food security and optimum health.

2.      Establish local water caucuses: There is a need for local water caucuses to be established in our communities to respond to issues that affect them at the village and ward levels.

3.      Illegal waste and river cleaning

Nkomazi is one of the areas that is heavily polluted with the once-use disposable nappies. Household waste management is very poor and illegal dumping is everywhere like along the road, at illegal dumping sites, and on bridges. This, at the end of the day, compromises the quality of water.

4.      Indigenous knowledge revival

We as MPWC believe that it is best to base and premise our approach to water and environmental conservation against the way our ancestors did, the indigenous traditional way. Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) are the way of life our ancestors lived. It is the most sustainable way of doing things since our ancestors did that for thousands of years without causing extreme levels of environmental destruction.

5.      Celebrate environmental calendar events.

We agreed as MPWC to celebrate the environmental calendar that speaks to our work.

6.      Land restoration

We would like, in our communities to adopt a river and introduce trees that are necessary for a river to flow. To do clearing of alien, high water usage plants in our rivers to improve the quality.

  • CONCLUSION AND WAY FORWARD

The meeting closed noting that Nkomazi WC stated:

  • We support to the establishment of secured home gardens with rainwater harvesting tools.

  • Home gardeners should only use traditional and natural methods of fertilising their soil.

  • To engage local municipalities about the management of illegal waste.

  • To engage with Human Rights Commission where our rights are infringed, like the right to access water during water shortages.