About Masibambane

Masibambane – meaning let’s work together is a water sector support programme led by the Department: Water Affairs.

The programme is a partnership between the Department of Provincial and Local Government (dplg), the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), the European Union and its member states; the Swiss Government and Ireland Aid. The Masibambane Sector Wide Support Approach works from the premise of coordinated strategies and joint implementation involving all players in water sector: national and provincial government, municipalities, civil society, donors, water utilities and the private sector.

Masibambane’s Sector Wide Approach

The SWAP engendered by Masibambane is a first in the water and sanitation sector and has been highly innovative in its application. It facilitates donor coordination, bringing resources together in a
consolidated budget, allocated to the achievement of sector goals and objectives. Through this process Masibambane has created a platform for addressing “soft issues” related to the quality and sustainability of delivery, which are commonly noted, but frequently fall by the wayside.

These include:

appropriate technology
environmental impact management
gender mainstreaming
greater civil society engagement

Lesson sharing is key to best practice and good governance. Masibambane has assisted in the formation of the Water Information Network - South
Africa (WIN-SA), which actively facilitates lesson sharing and knowledge exchange across the sector and globally. WIN-SA has and continues to play a critical role in brokering sector collaboration. It has built strong networks across a wide range of South African, African and international organisations.

Masibambane has also made significant strides in developing Inter-governmental Relations (IGR) to facilitate collaboration between various government departments. Strong IGR is critical for the achievement of South Africa’s social and economic growth and development goals.

Some of the noteworthy successes of the programme include:
a single water services reporting format and system that produces quarterly reports across 4 quadrants, ensuring sector accountability;
a Sector-Wide Approach resulting in one strategy and an integrated work plan for the sector; and
Civil society collaboration in the development of a strategy through a series of summits.