have a critical role to play in the development of new technologies
which will aid the South African government, in its endeavour to reach
its sanitation goals.
The department has already embarked on a relationship with the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation but an passionate plea has since been
made for South African industry to help improve the access to
sanitation facilities.
The South African government keeps claiming that it has made
tremendous progress since 1994. However, the reality is that large
sections of the population simply do not have access to proper
sanitation. It is envisaged that business could play a more active
role. Health and safety remain critical factors, while the drought
being experienced has compounded matters significantly.
"The department, the BMGF and the Water Research Commission (WRC) met
industry in a workshop in Pretoria, hoping to form partnerships that
will bring lasting solutions to sanitation problems in the country
through the South African Sanitation Technology Demonstration
Programme (SASTEP)," said departmental spokesman David Mandaha.
"The idea is to support the development of innovative and
ground-breaking technologies to improve sanitation in South Africa,
while creating a new sanitation market in the country.
"SASTEP was launched in 2014 to promote research into new-generation
sanitation solutions that are innovative, off-the-grid, and affordable
to poor communities. The WRC is demonstrating innovative,
new-generation sanitation technologies in some parts of the country,
for example, in Indwe in the Eastern Cape, over 200 composting
toilets, Earth Auger sanitation units, are being tested," added
Mandaha.
