Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has expressed strong support for the Just Water Partnerships (JWPs), an initiative focused on fostering investments aimed at enhancing water resilience and sustainability in low- and middle-income nations. The Minister's remarks were delivered during her participation in a panel discussion at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States, where she underscored the importance of collaborative efforts in ensuring access to clean and fresh water.
Highlighting the alignment of the Just Water Partnerships with South Africa's national priorities, Majodina affirmed that the government is committed to expanding partnerships in the water sector. “As the government of South Africa, we support a growing cohort of partners who are interested in developing the concept of Just Water Partnerships,” she stated. “We believe that well-structured JWPs will not only safeguard existing water resources but also ensure that no one is left behind when it comes to the provision of water and sanitation services.”
The concept of JWPs emerged following a report by the Global Commission for the Economics of Water (GCEW), which revealed the shortcomings of traditional economic models in addressing water-related challenges. The report called for a new approach to the economics and governance of water, aimed at promoting a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future. JWPs, therefore, serve as platforms that bring together financial and governance stakeholders—ranging from multilateral and regional development banks to national governments and public development banks. These actors collaborate to support investments from their own balance sheets and facilitate the mobilization of additional private financing.
Majodina further emphasized that the Just Water Partnerships closely reflect her department's commitment to building public-private partnerships. These partnerships are seen as essential to achieving the goal of making clean water, decent sanitation, and good hygiene accessible to all South Africans. This aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 6.1 and 6.2, which focus on ensuring universal and equitable access to safe, affordable drinking water and adequate sanitation for all, while also aiming to eradicate open defecation.
She also stressed the need for a platform like JWPs to ensure that investments are not only managed efficiently and transparently but are also targeted at addressing the needs of women, girls, and marginalized communities. “This confirms a need for such a platform to not only ensure that investments are used efficiently and transparently, but also in a way that prioritises women, girls and others facing marginalisation globally,” Majodina concluded.
