Access to Water and Sanitation is a universal right. However it is worrying that statistics from the National Department of Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) indicate that approximately 11%, or 1.4million, households in South Africa have no access to clean drinking water. The SAHRC held provincial Water and Sanitation hearings across all the provinces of our country from August to December, 2012. In these hearings, the SAHRC engaged with various stakeholders, including key government departments, local and national NGOs and civil society, as well as institutions, such as the United Nations. Onsite inspections have also been conducted throughout the provinces, especially in rural and peri-rural areas, which revealed a shocking state of affairs. The aim of the national hearing is to create an opportunity for the SAHRC to engage with the relevant government departments responsible for service delivery and to get them to respond on some of the problems people raised during the provincial hearings. The SAHRC will also present its findings and recommendations from the provincial hearings to government departments and key stakeholders. The national hearing will be held as follows: DATE: Tuesday, 19 March 2013 VENUE: Pan African Parliament (Midrand) TIME: 09:00 – 16:00 The Chairperson and the deputy-Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission will be attending the hearing together with representatives from various Government Departments. ENDS For more details please contact: Alucia Sekgathume 011 877 3627 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. For comments email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.