BACKGROUND
This year marks 100 years since the birth of two of the country’s Struggle icons – Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela and Mama Albertina Nontsikelelo Sisulu. The Nelson Mandela Centenary is celebrated under the theme: “Be The Legacy” while the Albertina Sisulu Centenary is being held under the theme: “A Woman of Fortitude”. The lives of these two giants of the Struggle were closely intertwined from the early 1940s until they passed on.
In May, the Chair of the Inter- Ministerial Committee on Nelson Mandela and Albertina Sisulu centenaries, Minister Jeff Radebe, officially launched the year-long celebrations in Cape Town. South Africa, the continent and the international community at large are called upon to celebrate and honour these two struggle stalwarts.
In honouring the lives of these struggle stalwarts, a series of awareness, educational, celebratory and commemorative activities will take place across the country. On 18 July and 09 August 2018, fully-fledged national centenary celebration events will be held across the globe.. Government departments and entities have been given the freedom to honour Madiba and Mme Sisulu in ways befitting their stature.
As such, the Department of Water and Sanitation will be engaged in a number of activities throughout the year and in line with Mandela Month, the Department will once again implement the annual clean- up campaign of our fresh water ecosystems.. Given that the country is currently recovering from one of the worst droughts in decades; there has never been a more opportune time to remind South Africans of this important call to action.
The Department is in partnership with many private sector, non-governmental organisations and government partners, including the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF). The National Clear Rivers Campaign reminds South Africans that:
WATER DOESN’T COME FROM A TAP
The water we need for growth and jobs comes from healthy rivers. HEALTHY RIVERS SUPPORT A HEALTHY NATION
Details of the campaign are included in the sections below CLIMATE CHANGE IS THE NEW NORMAL
Drought has been declared a national disaster in the country with three provinces (Northern, Western and Eastern Cape) adversely affected
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