The North-West University (NWU), through its NanoEnv Incubation Programme, continues to play a pivotal role in strengthening municipal capacity and governance in the water sector.
In collaboration with the Water Research Commission (WRC) and the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA), the NWU successfully hosted a three-day capacity-building workshop on water services legislation and governance for municipal councillors in Mahikeng from 23 to 25 March 2026.
The training, titled “Introduction to Water Services Legislation and Management for Councillors”, formed part of a short-learning programme designed to enhance councillors’ understanding of legislative frameworks and their governance responsibilities. The initiative aims to support municipalities in ensuring sustainable, equitable access to water services for communities across North West.
Councillors, particularly those serving in water and sanitation portfolios, engaged in practical discussions on their critical roles, including policy and by-law development, stakeholder engagement, performance monitoring of water service authorities and addressing service-delivery challenges in their wards.
The programme also addressed two urgent municipal priorities: sanitation-service management and flood-risk resilience. These focus areas align with a broader five-year national training initiative led by the WRC in partnership with WISA, which seeks to strengthen water and sanitation services across all nine provinces of South Africa.
At the core of this initiative is investment in human capital. Through continuous professional development-accredited (CPD-accredited) training, municipal officials and councillors are equipped with practical skills and knowledge in water and wastewater treatment, governance, risk management and regulatory compliance. The programme further supports improvements in national performance measures such as Blue Drop, Green Drop and No Drop assessments.
All courses offered under the initiative are triple CPD-accredited by the Engineering Council of South Africa, the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions and WISA. This ensures that participants not only strengthen institutional capacity but also advance their professional standing while meeting regulatory requirements.
Municipal participation in the programme is facilitated with the support of the South African Local Government Association, with an emphasis on consistent attendance to ensure long-term institutional impact.
The success of the workshop was underpinned by strong academic leadership from the NanoEnv team from the NWU. Prof. Damian Onwudiwe and Dr Naledi Seheri provided strategic guidance to align the training with research-driven insights and
local municipal needs. Their efforts were supported by a team of NWU researchers and academics, including Dr Mawethu Bilibana, Dr Lawrence Sawunyama, Murendeni Ravele and Prof. Lobina Palamuleni, whose expertise in environmental remediation and advanced wastewater treatment enriched the training sessions.
The workshop brought together municipal councillors from across the province, creating a valuable platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration. According to Prof. Onwudiwe and Dr Seheri, the partnership between the NWU, the WRC and WISA demonstrates the power of collaboration in linking academic research, policy development and on-the-ground municipal practice.
By fostering collaboration, strengthening governance capacity and promoting continuous learning, the NanoEnv Incubation Programme of the NWU is contributing meaningfully to building resilient municipalities, improving water security and supporting sustainable development in South Africa.
NWU NanoEnv members Dr Lawrence Sawunyama, Prof. Lobina Palamuleni, Dr Naledi Seheri, Dr Mawethu Bilibana, Ayesha Laher, Prof. Damian Onwudiwe and Murendeni Ravele.
