April 25, 2006
By Lucky Sindane
EXECUTIVE Mayor Amos Masondo and Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry Buyelwa Sonjica officially opened the third annual Johannesburg Water Festival on Friday, 21 April at Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown.
The festival will run until 27 April, ending on a high note with a music festival featuring hot local acts like Malaika, Ntando, Slikour, DJ Monde and many other artists and well known DJs on Freedom Day.
Joburg is hosting the third annual Water Festival
Organised by Joburg Water, the festival aims to spread awareness about the importance of water and to create a platform for the City's water utility to communicate important water messages to the public.
"Allow me to take this opportunity to reassure you that the water coming out of your taps is absolutely safe for you to drink," said Ros Greeff, the member of the mayoral committee for infrastructure and services.
"Much of the confusion that has emerged recently stems from the fact that many of us are ill informed about the water cycle process and mechanisms through which water comes from the dams to your taps."
It was for this reason that Joburg Water hosted this festival, Greeff added. "It is aimed at heightening awareness around these issues. The festival represents a massive investment in public education and I encourage you to spread the news of the festival to all you know."
It was an ideal venue for people to learn and become more informed about water and sanitation issues.
A range of educational activities is planned for the festival, including exhibitions by the provincial government's Sci-Bono Science Centre that will involve water experiments and some of the centre's science and technology programmes.
"Close to 6 000 school learners from various schools throughout the city are expected to take part in the festival's educational activities in two Water Villages specifically created for the event, " explained Baldwin Matsimela, Joburg Water's acting senior marketing and communications manager.
Sonjica said education was key to sustainability. "I am pleased to see that this festival has a strong focus on schools. Instilling caring and responsible attitudes to water conservation among children is all too important and teaching safe sanitation and hygiene will go a long way to creating a more healthy society.
"I must commend the work that is being done by Johannesburg Water through its Operation Gcin'amanzi. Johannesburg Water is working to ensure that potable water is not lost through leaking pipes and is used efficiently and responsibly by consumers, through metered consumption."
It was vital that water was seen to have value, not as a commodity through which to generate profit, but as something precious, to be guarded, she said. "Metering means that there is no incentive to waste. The incentive is to conserve."
Corporate day is the highlight of the festival. On this day, employees of Joburg Water and other City departments, utilities, agencies and corporate entities take part in various competitions, such as water drinking, water tasting and "bucket on the head".
There will also be an exhibition, with the theme, At your service, featuring City service providers such as City Parks, City Power, Pikitup, Johannesburg Roads Agency, Joburg Connect, Johannesburg Development Agency and Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market.
"The success of the 2005 Water Festival has set a new precedent for us," said Joburg Water's managing director, Gerald Dumas. "This year we have to ensure that we make this premiere public education exercise even bigger and more innovative."
Sonjica concluded by saying she hoped that the Johannesburg Water Festival would "grow in strength and assist in guiding South Africa's greatest city into a sustainable and prosperous future".
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