Suchergebnisse

This is a conference paper. ; Scarce financial, human and water resources are major constraints on the delivery of sustainable water supplies to the previously disadvantaged rural communities of South Africa. Of these constraints on sustainability, the scarcity of financial resources has received the most attention. During the period from 1994 –2000, the prevailing view in the South African water sector was that some form of cost recovery from the beneficiary communities was necessary to compensate for the scarcity of external funding. Cost recovery became to be seen as so central to sustainability that, in many schemes, it became almost an end in itself. However pronouncements during the local government election of 2000 regarding the provision of "free" water have called into question the appropriateness of cost recovery. This paper will step back from a detailed assessment of specific cost recovery methodologies and focus on the broad objectives and principles underpinning cost recovery on rural water schemes. It will ask whether the pursuit of cost recovery is really worth the cost given the changing political priorities (best illustrated by the recent promise of 6kl of "free" water) and evidence that efficient cost recovery severely reduces household consumption?

This is a conference paper. ; Five years after the start of democratic government in South Africa, local government structures in the Eastern Cape are beginning to take over responsibility for the delivery of basic water services from central government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and village water committees (VWCs). This shift in responsibility has forced NGOs, like the Mvula Trust, to examine their modus operandi and the appropriateness of their existing partnerships with community structures. This paper documents the experience of the Mvula Trust in the Eastern Cape on several programs in which partnerships with new local government bodies are developing. Particular reference is made to the Eastern Cape Premier's Office programme, the Irish Aid Model Project programme and the DANIDA Contract facilitation programme. The challenges, benefits and problems of working with local government are assessed, and recommendations made as to how more effective partnerships can be developed in the future.