June 2, 2005
By Ndaba Dlamini
JOBURG Water will reward the winning schools and learners in the 2005 Johannesburg Water Festival school competitions with "fat cheques", in the words of the utility. The competitions were part of its drive to promote public education programmes on water conservation.
The utility, the City of Johannesburg's water and sanitation service provider, hosted the annual Water Festival at Zoo Lake from 21 to 27 April. The festival consisted of school and corporate competitions, exhibitions, a fun run/walk and a music festival.
Baldwin Matsimela, community liaison officer for Joburg Water, says that since the launch of the water festival last year, competitions aimed at schools have been foremost in the utility's drive to educate the public to be water wise.
"Through these competitions we are actually encouraging schools, particularly their learners, to express themselves through poetry, painting and other art forms."
About 300 schools from around Johannesburg participated in the competitions, according to Matsimela. There were two categories, focusing on water conservation - painting for Grades 0 to 3 and mosaic for Grades 4 to 7.
Prize money in each category was R1 000 for the winning learner and R2 000 and R3 000 respectively for the winning schools in both categories. The total prize money of R28 000 was sponsored by Joburg Water.
Matsimela says the winners will be presented with their cheques on Friday, 3 June and Monday, 6 June. On Friday, Joburg Water will visit the following schools in Soweto and Lenasia:
- Isaacson Primary School in Soweto
- Hlakaniphani Primary School in Soweto
- Elsie Ngidi Primary School in Soweto
- Daxina Primary School in Lenasia
- Progress Primary School in Lenasia
On Monday it will present cheques at the other winning schools:
- Malvern Primary School in Malvern
- Laerskool Montanus in Southhills
- Saxonwold Primary School in Sandton
- Ebony Park Primary School in Midrand
- Musengavhazimu Primary School in Diepsloot
Prizes for the R10 000 Operation Gcin'amanzi Mural Competition were awarded during the festival. Isaacson Primary School clinched the first prize of R5 000 and Hlakaniphani Primary School and Elsie Ngini Primary School scooped R2 500 each.
Operation Gcin'amanzi, a multi-million rand operation to upgrade water supply facilities in Soweto, was launched in 2003 by Johannesburg Executive Mayor Councillor Amos Masondo. A key aspect of the project is an education campaign to teach residents about the need to save water and inform consumers of what Joburg Water is doing in the community.
Matsimela says the Operation Gcin'amanzi competition was open only to schools in Soweto. "Professional mural artists will help the winning schools and individuals install murals about water conservation on the walls of their schools as part of their reward."
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