6. South Africa-Catchment-Case Process-Awareness
6.2.
Public awareness raising and capacity building
This section outlines the most important findings and lessons learnt from a public
awareness raising and capacity building programme in the Sand River Catchment. It
explains how new legislation that emphasises rights and equity is being implemented
by a diverse group of stakeholders, who face formidable problems. It also explains
the role that the learning methodologies like the ‘spiral’ approach, and assessment
methodologies like the RIDe analytical framework, were able to play in working with
catchment stakeholders.
6.2.1. Approach and main activities
As part of the WHiRL project, an on-going awareness raising and capacity building
programme (PACAM) of the Save-the-Sand project was expanded. The objective
was to enhance the capacity of stakeholder groups directly involved in the
management of water resources to engage with the new water laws and to participate
in the water allocation and licensing process as set out in the new legislation – with a
focus on achieving water security for rural water supply (i.e. the BHNR, schedule 1,
and licensing).
Activities were conducted over a period of 10 months in 2003. The main activities
were:
 development of awareness raising materials
 development of tools to support scenario building
 development and implementation of an awareness raising programme that
focussed on mediation sessions and capacity development
Key issues, concepts and processes addressed during this part of the WHiRL project
were:
 The Reserve (both the ecological reserve and the Basic Human Needs Reserve)
 The nature and status of the available water resources in the catchment
 Allocation procedures for apportioning the available resources
 Understanding status and functioning of the infrastructure
 Understanding the range of roles that water can play in the livelihoods of the poor
 Applying a rights based focus on water allocation and application of the principle
of equity
6.2.2. Selection of focus groups
Out of the total of 40 stakeholder groups in the Sand River Catchment, eight were
prioritised based on their role in water management (Figure 6.2.1). The stakeholder
groups were:
Water Services Authority (Bothlabela District Municipality or BDM): the highest
authority associated with water management on a local (catchment) level. BDM is
responsible for development and implementation of water resource development
plans, integrated development plans, and the promulgation of bylaws.
Retail Water Development Project: is a small yet powerful role player in water
management and planning in the district. The project is funded by USAid and has
been contracted to provide 4 years of support to the BDM in matters related to water
resources planning and services provision.
Bushbuckridge Local Government: soon to take over the role of water services and
sanitation provision in the catchment. A group with far ranging responsibilities
including water and sanitation, maintenance of water infrastructure and ensuring that
villages and rural communities receive their basic daily allocation of water.
Village Water Committees: democratically-elected village structures associated with
managing water supply and infrastructure at a village level; articulating water related
problems; and defending the rights of their communities to the entitlement of 25 litres
per person per day. These committees represent the most vulnerable water users in the
catchment and are currently a ‘weak voice’ in decision-making processes.
Department of Water Affairs and Forestry: the custodian of all water resources in
South Africa with a regulatory and quality control function and currently the major
water and sanitation services provider in South Africa.
Department of Agriculture: represents irrigation, highest and least efficient water use
in the catchment. They have a key role to play in helping villages establish sustainable
farming and water conserving practices. Extension workers from the department were
involved.
Emergent farmers: a number of small scale agricultural projects occur in the
catchment. Most are aimed at increasing food security for the rural poor and involve
small-scale agricultural projects in and around rural villages
Private sector (Sabie Sands Wildtuin): represents a ‘downstream user’ in our
catchment, with a keen interest in water management and planning in the catchment
as a whole. They are also the wealthiest collection of water users with powerful
negotiating skills and access to legal structures and thus bring a ‘strong voice’ to the
negotiation process.
All stakeholder groups were largely unfamiliar with the new water legislation (and the
Reserve) at the outset and most were new to the concepts of integrated water resource
management. Another important issue that had to be considered is the legacy of
conflict between a number of stakeholders within the poor rural villages and
downstream users suffering the most from poor management and planning.
6.2.3. Tools and approaches
A number of tools and approaches were either specifically developed, or tailored to
the needs of the different stakeholder groups. Awareness raising with some groups
was linked to RIDe analysis, also discussed in this section, which provided technical
information and a framework to structure discussions spanning issues of water
management and water services delivery. Scenario based planning involved the
progressive development of conceptual capital and skills required to engage with the
sophisticated requirements of an integrated approach to water management. Those
groups involved in the use of the RIDe methodology and scenario planning included:
Bohlabela District Council, Retail Water Development Project, the Department of
Water Affairs and Forestry (water resources section), Department of Agriculture
(provincial officials), and commercial agriculture. Less technically demanding
methods were employed with village water committees, community agriculture
projects and DWAF technical staff.
All interactions were conducted according within the spiral framework [link] and
included mediation sessions, ‘work-away’ sessions and integrated meetings. The
process was comprehensively documented:
 each mediation session was recorded, and minuted
 tasks set were reviewed and discussed in groups
 integration meetings were recorded and used to plan further sessions
 collaborative reflection was conducted with most participants in the form of an
interview towards the end of the 10 month period.
Figure 6.2.1 Some of the diverse focus groups involved in the Sand River
Catchment
6.2.4. Lessons learnt
Devolution of roles and responsibilities for water management and supply brings a
lack of clarity
In seeking to bring coherence to water resources development and management, and
the issues of equity and sustainability, South Africa has embarked about a process of
decentralisation and planning according to physical units (catchments). Key to this
process has been the devolution of roles and responsibilities from a national to local
level. The decentralisation has been fraught with problems relating to asynchrononous
implementation schedules; varying capacities to take up responsibilities; and lack of
clarity with regard to new roles and responsibilities, among others. Of major concern
is the general lack of clarity regarding roles and responsibilities that we have
encountered between the need to manage of water resources on the basis of a
catchment and the imperative to supply water within administrative boundaries of
municipal districts. Here the conflation is largely between water resource
management devolved to catchment management agencies, and domestic water
supply devolved to water services authorities. The need to monitor water provision
from a rights-based focus needs to be embedded within the practices of both
management and supply institutions. The adoption of free basic water policy, building
on the constitutional right to water, provides a solid framework for enabling this
approach. However, much work remains to be done in order to gain clarity and
establish appropriate practices. Clearly a focus on monitoring is necessary. Attention
needs to be given to the institutional arrangements and how they can be better
understood in terms for their roles and functions.
Need for communication outside of line function departments
There was a general agreement amongst participants that more communication
between the different sectors and departments is essential in future. This requires that
stakeholders be brought together on a regular basis. Most felt that the current lines of
communication through the Provincial Area Planning Forum was inappropriate since
this has a mostly technical orientation. The focus on Resource Directed Measures and
the application of the RIDe approach (6.3 South Africa-Catchment-MethodologiesRIDe) introduces a new key focus and one that has not had time to develop lines of
communication. The use of the Catchment Management Agency and the Fora provide
an important avenue for communication.
Prevailing discourse of supply augmentation and techno-centric solution-seeking
Much of the discourse around water in the catchment is focused on supply issues with
little attention to management of the resource-base. This prevailing discourse carries
forward into the prevailing practices and institutional priority setting which in our
case was largely focussed on domestic water supply from a technical orientation.
Much needs to be done to re-orientate the way that water planning and management is
conducted. A new more holistic and service focused discourse needs to be established.
The Basic Human Needs Reserve (BHNR) as the main instrument for
implementing “water as a human right” in South Africa is new and implementation
is a complex matter
The BHNR is a statutory requirement and is not subject to the limitations of resource
constraints (WSA, 1997). In cases where a municipality straddles more than one
catchment, the quantification of the BHNR will be based on population figures of the
entire district whereas the CMA’s obligation for allocation is to the population within
the catchment boundary. This places responsibilities on institutions to recognise this
mismatch and to compensate through additional collaboration, planning and
monitoring and communicating procedures. Additionally, this has implications for the
monitoring of infringements of the BHNR. A focus on communication in order to
resolve the boundary mismatch is urgently needed.
The need to establish a community of practice that focuses on integrated water
management
A community of practice needs to be built around a number of Water Services
Institutions (WSIs) working together to achieve integrated water resource
development and management. In our case the WSIs that need to work together as a
unit are: the water services authority (district government), the water services provider
(local government), the village water committee members, the bulk supplier (water
board) and the regional authority (Department of Water Affairs). The principles of
RIDe are appropriate need to inform the practices of this group (6.3 South AfricaCatchment-Methodologies-RIDe).
How will civil society participate in water management and supply in order for their
basic human needs met?
Currently great uncertainly prevails. Should civil society participate in water related
issues through political structures, as outlined in the Municipal Systems Act (2000) or
through specially designed catchment-based structures outlined by the National Water
Act? Clearly the mismatch between administrative boundaries and catchment
boundaries will have a significant impact on how the public and stakeholders will be
able to engage with water resources management in general.
Inadequate conceptual capital around managing water for a rights focus
It is clear from the workshops that the various focus groups that are part of the project
do not have adequate access to information which means that they are not able to
carry ideas forward to action with confidence. This applies especially to those groups
tasked with water services provision (local government and Department of Water
Affairs). The understanding of a rights framework for water allocation is very poor.
The role of the public in addressing issues of equity, efficiency and sustainability of
water management and allocation
Although the democratic imperatives for public participation and stakeholder
inclusion are clearly expressed in the Constitution and articulated in both the National
Water Act and Water Services Act, there is considerable ambiguity as to how this will
take shape within either catchment or District boundaries. Uncertainty plays itself out
when it comes to involving a broad spectrum of stakeholders and civil society in
water management processes. Our experience is that ‘public participation’ is currently
being read as ‘public consultation’ with very limited opportunities for the public to be
activity involved in making sure that the Basic Human Needs Reserve is met.
However, should the public become more involved in water related issues (both
management and service delivery), there will be a strong need to clarify channels for
effective communication and participation. A clear understanding of how resources,
infrastructure and entitlements work together is imperative for meaningful
involvement of the broad public.
Poor familiarity with policy and legislative frameworks and weak capacity to adopt
an integrated approach
The project shows that a considerable amount of work needs to be done with regard to
creating awareness of the new policies and laws. The Constitution and National Water
Act are the key legislative instruments available for ensuring access to water as a
human right yet those responsible for water allocation and provision are not clear as to
how a rights-based approach can be implemented. Those tasked with water services
provision constitute a group that needs specific capacity in this regard. Poor familiarly
with the policy and law means that it is frequently disregarded when it comes to
planning. The case in point is the drafting of the WSDP and IDP for the district and
local municipalities. The project has highlighted a distinct lack of regard for the issues
of equity and sustainability in the major planning instruments of the municipalities.
This is likely to have considerable implications for violations of rights when it comes
to water provision. Future work in this regards is essential.
Political structures are not always best suited to managing water resources
The election cycle introduces uncertainty and lack of continuity with regard to
capacity building and monitoring of services delivery and management. The project
has found that the election cycle of ward councillors (key stakeholders in water
services provision and interaction with civil society) impacts on capacity building and
hence water service delivery. Ward councillors are key to the monitoring of human
rights violations in rural settings. They must however be committed to this role and
have adequate background in monitoring such violations. Communities have
expressed concern with regard to the performance of councillors. The impending
elections are likely to have an important impact on how councillors should be
engaged in future. Individuals appointed in permanent posts within local government
represent more stable structures with which to work and build capacity.
Complexity of concepts linked to a rights-based approach
A rights-based approach to water resource management is a complex issue especially
when it is linked to Integrated Catchment Management. Such an approach requires a
holistic understanding of a range of matters. The introduction of the notion of ‘The
Reserve’ (Basic Human Needs Reserve and Ecological Reserve) is the main
instrument for ensuring that water is accorded the status of a right. However, the
concept is frequently conflated with “entitlement” as well as “licensed use” (as a
right). Much needs to be done by way of clarification and the embedding these
understandings into new practice. The project has found that meanings are frequently
carried forward from old legislative frameworks and practices. Dealing with these
challenges is crucial to meaningful understanding and capacity development. The call
for intensive awareness raising was made clear by a number of participants in the
project. The inconsistent application of terminology and concepts is not only a local
phenomenon – the positions taken at a national level are also a source of confusion on
occasion.
Integration of concepts associated with water management is complex and
sophisticated
Attention to integrating of understanding and the importance of not understanding
issues in isolation is important. The integrated emphasis in the RIDe framework
makes this possible but is still complex and requires a holistic undertaking of context
(6.3 South Africa-Catchment-Methodologies-RIDe).
Acceptance of new roles and responsibilities is demanding
Local government and associated community structures are currently tasked with a
large number of responsibilities. Many of these tasks have to be discharged with little
or no support. Many of the village water committees are willing to take on
considerable responsibilities but have little means to complete activities due to lack of
resources and capacity. The majority of village members are volunteers and comprise
a largely unemployed group. Many feel that the task is too great and that there is not
enough time available to address the backlogs evident in the district. One councillor
called his task “an un-climbable mountain”.
Unrealistic demands placed on under-prepared individuals and institutions
The placing of unrealistically high demands on under-prepared institutions and
individuals leads to crisis management. Crisis management results in further delays in
delivery of services and the development of capacity to deliver. Many participants
have expressed dismay at the tremendous challenges that they face in Bushbuckridge
on a daily basis. This issue is compounded by the fact that many local government
councillors and members of civil society organisations do not have appropriate formal
education. The tremendous backlogs and chaotic infrastructure that were inherited
from the former homeland governments has meant that moving forward cannot be
done without concomitant attention to matters of the past.
Tendency to rely on “old ways of doing things”
In the absence of capacity building and training, participants tend to rely on the old
ways of going about their jobs. When questioned, participants respond that they do
not know how to go about change. They claim that the safest position is to continue
working in the way that they always have. This reliance on ‘bureaucratic habits’
hampers transformation in the water sector. Clearly a lack of focus on rights in the
past is likely to continue into the future until such a time that adequate awareness and
capacity is built.
Read more
Du Toit, D. 2002. Preparing people for Integrated Catchment Management: a
proposed model and some preliminary findings from the Save the Sand
Project. Unpublished research paper. AWARD, Acornhoek.
Sguazzin, T. and du Toit, D. 2003. Learning to share: exploring ways of managing
water for entitlements and productive uses in the Sand River Catchment.
Saving the Sand Series Unit 7. AWARD, Acornhoek.
Sguazzin, T. and du Toit, D. 2003. Issues of access: water in the Sand River
Catchment, legislation, rights, governance and infrastructure. Saving the
Sand Series Unit 8. AWARD, Acornhoek.
Other references and links