By: Sthabiso Mdledle

Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Danish Ministry of Environment and Food on Monday.

According to the Presidency, this agreement will present the South African water sector with the opportunities to learn about innovative technological solutions, land and water
management systems as well as skills development.

This comes after SA has been experiencing shortage of water and been hit hard by the drought which has crippled this country’s agricultural sector.

Zandile Magubane, who works at Crookes as a landscaper working with sugar cane and flowers, said that the drought and shortage of water has made her work difficult.

“Our customers expect high quality and healthy flowers from us, but it is difficult because our watering system is becoming weak as the drought persist,” said Magubane.

She added that not only was her work affected, but her household is experiencing the same level of insufficient water accessibility because the water taps are empty, sometimes for more
than a week.

According to Winile Msani, a single mother who grows vegetables and sells them to her community, rain is not enough to sustain her crops.

“We get excited when we see rain, but the heat will dry the land and my vegetables will die just when I thought they were picking up,” added Msani.

However, Mokonyane said in a statement that the South African-Danish partnerships in the water sector will help alleviate the current water challenges faced by the country.