Minister Pemmy Majodina participates in 3rd Pan-African Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water in Zambia, 27 to 29 May

Consistent with South Africa’s unwavering commitment to African unity, water justice, and sustainable development, Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, will lead a high-level delegation to the Third Pan-African Implementation and Partnership Conference on Water (PANAFCON-3), scheduled to take place in Lusaka, Zambia from 27 to 29 May 2025.

The conference is hosted by the Republic of Zambia’s Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation under the auspices of the African Union (AU), the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) and co-convened by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), African Development Bank/ Africa Water Facility (AfDB/AWF) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)

Held under the theme “Assuring inclusive and climate-resilient water security and sanitation for the Africa We Want”, PANAFCON-3 is a landmark platform bringing together governments, experts, decision-makers and sector stakeholders to shape Africa’s Post-2025 Vision and Policy on water and sanitation.

Progress reported by Member States against the targets of the Africa Water Vision 2025 (AWV 2025), and related commitments including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), indicates that we are off track to actualise the Vision. In particular, the rate of growth in services provision is outstripped by rapid population growth and urbanisation and exacerbated by the impacts of climate change and climate variability. Disproportionate public funding and investments to the sector have been identified as a fundamental factor underlying the fast-fading aspiration of actualising the Africa Water Vision by 2025.

The conference will pave a way for Member States and partners to review the initial draft of the vision and policy framework for assuring inclusive and climate resilient water security on the continent.

Some of the sub-themes identified to be under discussion in the three days include:

• Financing, investments and resource mobilisation
• Water supply, sanitation, hygiene, and wastewater
• Water infrastructure for economic production; climate resilience; and disaster risk reduction
• Governance and institutions for managing and protecting water resources
• Information management and capacity development
• Gender equality and social inclusion

The conference responds to the urgent need for coordinated, African-led solutions to challenges of water scarcity, climate change, and sustainable infrastructure.

South Africa’s participation, led by Minister Majodina, signals the country’s commitment to Pan-Africanism and the broader African Union Agenda 2063. As the continent faces mounting pressures from urbanisation, climate-related water stress, and infrastructure backlogs, this conference offers a strategic moment for African states to align efforts toward inclusive development.

Minister Majodina’s leadership is particularly significant given her portfolio’s central role in addressing access to clean water, sanitation equity, and climate resilience in South Africa. Her presence reinforces South Africa’s dedication to advancing a water-secure continent through practical cooperation and transformative partnerships.

“As Africans, our liberation is incomplete without sovereignty over our natural resources. Water is not just a basic right, it is a strategic resource essential to the dignity, health, and economic empowerment of our people. Through platforms like PANAFCON, we unite to demand justice, equity, and transformation for all Africans,” said Minister Majodina.

Minister Majodina will engage in high-level dialogues on regional collaboration, transboundary water governance, and accelerating access to water and sanitation infrastructure across the continent.

South Africa remains steadfast in its commitment to working with fellow African countries to realise a united, prosperous, and water-secure Africa.

For more information, contact:

Ms Wisane Mavasa, Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation 
Cell: 060 561 8935
E-mail:  mavasaw@dws.gov.za 

Ministerial Spokesperson, Cornelius Monama 
Cell: 083 271 0808
E-mail: monamac@dws.gov.za    

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