Former SADC Director of Infrastructure and Services, Mr. Remigious Makumbe has been appointed GWPSA/Africa Special Advisor on Water for Job creation, Industrialization and Partnerships Sustainability.
Apart from supporting GWPSA in mobilising investments for the regional programme as well as SDG implementation, Mr. Makumbe’s expertise will compliment GWP-SA’s efforts to strengthen GWP at country level and contribute towards enhancing the sustainability of country water partnerships (CWPs) to advance water security for job creation.
The GWPSA Board also appointed five experts and a Gender focal point. Renowned University of Pretoria Economist, Professor James Nelson Blignaut was appointed the GWPSA Chief Economist to lead economic analyses of GWP investment programmes on water security, jobs and industrialization. Accomplished Water Management Expert, Mr. Pieter Stephanus Heyns was appointed Transboundary Water Expert. Mr. Heyns was involved setting up several Transboundary Water Basins in SADC region. The Climate Finance expert position went Dr. Adolphine Kateka, a former Advisor to Tanzania Board and member of the Green Climate Fund.
Mr. Frederick Lehloka Tlhomola of the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority was appointed Water-Food-Energy Nexus expert. The Board appointed current Vice Chair of the Africa Water Association, Dr. Hamanth Chotoo Kasan from Rand Water as the Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) Expert.
Bearing in mind that gender cuts across all development and needs to be integrated into water programmes, the board also appointed Ms. Litumelo Mate Sievers as the gender focal point. This appointment, which is also in line with GWPSA programme requirements, which are anchored on GWPOs mandate, will see Ms. Sievers providing gender-related expertise inputs both to GWPSA and CU.
The Special Advisor and experts were appointed by GWP-SA’s Board to serve on the Regional Technical Committee (RTEC) on a three- year term in accordance with the Article 11 of the GWP-SA Constitution.
Speaking on the appointments of the experts to boost GWP-SA expertise and better serve our partners, Mr. Alex Simalabwi - Global Water Partnership- Southern Africa (GWP-SA) Executive Secretary underscored the need to have the right expertise and support to advance GWP-SA’s agendas.
“In line with our drive to strategically reposition GWP-SA’s role on water security to advance the SADC Regional industrialisation and job creation agenda as well as the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the board has deemed it fit to appoint these specialists to provide technical leadership and support in implementing the GWPSA programmes”, Mr. Simalabwi noted.
An official and integral governance structure of GWPSA, the RETC consists of technical partners involved in the core strategy development, technical oversight and enhancing the technical capacity of the GWP-SA Secretariat to deliver effectively on the its work programmes developed for the GWP-SA strategies.
The RETC, which will work closely with GWP-SA’s reference group of experts, is also expected to provide technical assistance to GWP-SA board and Africa Coordination Unit.
“It is indeed an honour to have such expertise in our team and we are confident that by the end of their tenure these experts will have made a huge contribution towards the achievement of GWP's goals," said Mr. Simalabwi.
The RTEC provides technical leadership and support the GWPSA secretariat in implementing the GWPSA work programme focused on water security, industrialization, Job creation and climate resilient development in the region. The 5 RTEC members will work alongside the GWP Reference Group of experts that provides technical support to the GWP Africa Coordination Unit hosted by GWPSA secretariat.
The appointment of the experts was done during the 8th GWP-SA Board meeting, held in Swakopmund, Namibia on 24th October 2017.
Read more about the individuals appointed below.
Remigious Makumbe
Special Advisor - Water for Job Creation, Industrialisation and Partnerships Sustainability
Former SADC Director of Infrastructure and Services, Mr Makumbe has extensive experience in infrastructure planning and implementation in the SADC region. More
James Nelson Blignaut
Chief Economist Expert
Professor Blignaut uses his ecological and environmental resource economics expertise to provide intellectual leadership and economics related inputs to the GWPSA regional programme on Water Infrastructure, Job Creation and SDG Investments. More
Adolphine Kateka
Climate Finance Expert
Dr Kateka provides expertise in mobilizing climate finance and preparing funding proposals for the Green Climate Fund, Global Environmental facility and others. More
Piet Heyns
Transboundary Water Management Expert
Mr. Heyns is an expert in national, regional and global water planning, water infrastructure construction, water scheme operations as well as water governance, development and management. More
Litumelo Mate Sievers
Gender Expert
Ms. Sievers has vast experience in programmes formulation and monitoring, climate change, gender, donor coordination, funds disbursement planning, gender awareness, monitoring and evaluation framework formulation and implementation. More
Frederick Lehloka Tlhomola
Water-Food-Energy Nexus Expert
Mr Tlhomola brings immense experience on the water resources development and management. For over twenty years he worked on the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, one of the largest and most complex transboundary infrastructures. More
Hamanth Chotoo Kasan
Urban Water Management Expert
Dr Kasan will provide knowledge and expertise in integrated water management, water and sanitation services provision, designing feasibility studies and investment plans for water and sanitation. More