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06 October 2020 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied
Dr Kgosi Mocwagae explored the Qwaqwa water crisis because at a young age, he could not understand why the community in which he grew up faced so many water challenges despite a high presence of water from rivers, consistent rainfall, and streams bursting from the ground.

Dr Kgosi Mocwagae, Programme Director and Lecturer: Department of Urban and Regional Planning, received his PhD qualification during the October virtual graduation ceremonies.

His study, titled Exploring the Qwaqwa water crisis for effective planning post-apartheid, focuses on the water crisis in the Qwaqwa area, which commenced on 1 January 2016 and saw people without access to clean drinking water from their taps. The community had to turn to alternative means, such as collecting water from government-contracted water tankers, rivers, emergency hydrants, and wells.

Understanding the water crisis

Dr Mocwagae says the reason why he took up this study was because at a young age, he could not understand why the community in which he grew up faced so many water challenges despite a high presence of water from rivers, consistent rainfall, and streams bursting from the ground.
 
In this study, he aimed to explore the history of water policy in South Africa, together with the water crisis in Qwaqwa. He also documented the lived experiences of the affected Qwaqwa communities to determine the effect of not having access to clean drinking water in terms of quality of water, time, money, and distance travelled, to name just a few. 

Dr Mocwagae furthermore assessed interventions by various actors during the Qwaqwa water crisis, which included accessing water from municipally contracted water tankers, streams and rivers, rainwater harvesting, donations, paying for delivery of water, boreholes, and emergency water hydrants intended for fire breakouts. He also investigated the implications of the Qwaqwa water crisis for effective planning in post-apartheid South Africa.

He states: “Despite reports from the government that the Qwaqwa water crisis was an issue from 2015 and a result of drought, the study proved differently.” 

Water crisis due to poor planning

“Firstly, the water crisis was a cumulative effect of poor water planning since the founding of Qwaqwa as a homeland in 1974. Further to this, Qwaqwa has not been able to sufficiently provide water to the community from 1974 to date.”

Dr Mocwagae continues: “A major contributing factor to the water crisis was that the three dams in the area were still performing their primary functions as established during apartheid. Planning would have to be done to reprioritise water to Qwaqwa.

He also found that the municipality had not planned and invested in the maintenance and development of water infrastructure to provide water. 

The study was also able to demonstrate that there is a form of socialisation in planning that does not prioritise the community of Qwaqwa. In this community, more than 50% of the people live in poverty. According to Dr Mocwagae’s findings, the idea exists that the community first needs to be viewed a worthy economic contributor in order for them to benefit from water that originates from Qwaqwa. 

“Alternative means of accessing water and water-use education are also needed as part of the process of resolving the Qwaqwa water crisis,” says Dr Mocwagae. 

News Archive

Prof Lis Lange appointed as Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning at UCT
2017-12-11


 Description: Prof Lis Lange appointed as Deputy Vice-Chancellor UCT Tags: Prof Lis Lange appointed as Deputy Vice-Chancellor UCT 

Prof Lis Lange, Vice-Rector: Academic at the UFS. 
Photo: Stephen Collet 

Prof Lis Lange, Vice-Rector: Academic at the University of the Free State (UFS), has been appointed as Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning at the University of Cape Town (UCT) as from 1 February 2018.

Significant contribution at the UFS 

"Prof Lange has played a significant role in developing and transforming the academic profile of the university. She has done outstanding work, inter alia, in developing a robust framework for academic planning; assisting with developing the Integrated Transformation Plan (ITP) which was recently approved by the UFS Council, as well as the newly approved Strategic Plan of the UFS for 2018-2023; driving the work of some of the Vice-Chancellor’s Task Teams; and various other strategic projects," says Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

Portfolio at UCT

"On behalf of the executive management, I wish her all success in the new portfolio. She brings to her new portfolio at UCT a wealth of experience in the higher-education sector. Prof Lange is a well-known specialist in South African higher education and has made an important contribution to the study of systemic and institutional transformation, academic freedom, and curriculum," says Prof Petersen.

Prof Lange's portfolio at UCT will entail developing, implementing, and monitoring programmes and progress towards the teaching and learning goals of UCT's strategic plan; promoting the use of technology in education and the advancement of online learning; oversight of academic planning, quality assurance, and quality promotion through the Department of Institutional Planning, as well as having oversight over the six faculties at UCT.

Prof Hendri Kroukamp, Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, will be acting Vice-Rector: Academic as from 1 February 2018 until a suitable appointment is made.

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