“Igama Lamakhosikazi Malibongwe”
In celebration of Women’s Month, the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) would like to salute the Women of 1956 who defeated all patriarchal odds during apartheid. In one of the largest demonstrations staged in this country’s history, 20000 women of all races marched to Pretoria’s Union Buildings on August 9 1956, to present a petition against the carrying of passes by women to the prime minister, JG Strydom.
Sixty-four years down the line, the question that needs to be asked is how far the government has gone in improving the lives of women?
The Department of Water and Sanitation has made strides in developing women, including the young and middle-aged.
Throughout the years, DWS has produced and developed water pioneers who are equal to the task of delivering water and sanitation services. Twenty-eight-year-old Margo Adonis is a scientific technician at the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS)’s Western Cape offices. Adonis was crowned Ms Earth Ambassador in 2019. This is a yearly competition and entails continuous awareness and promotion of environmental protection through community engagement.
Through her work, Adonis has championed initiatives around issues like water use efficiency.
At the senior management level, DWS is proud to have Boniswa Hene as its Director, Water use Regulations.
Hene has been leading the charge in enforcing compliance of the Water Act (No. 36 of 1998).
Through her leadership DWS has investigated and prosecuted water crimes and in some instances imposed hefty fines on offenders.
Ntombizanele Bila-Mupariwa needs no introduction. As director for planning and Information/Water Sector Support, she played a very instrumental role in the mitigation of the effects of the drought which ravaged Western Cape in 2017/18.
Adonis, Hene, and Bila-Mupariwa are some of the women who are flying the flag high when it comes to water resource management.
They are playing an active role in flattening the curve of Covid-19.
“Igama Lamakhosikazi Malibongwe”
* Malusi Rayi, Communications: DWS Western Cape.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Newspapers.
Cape Argus
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