EThekwini Deputy Mayor Councillor Philani Mavundla, second from right, with the Netherlands delegation.

ETHEKWINI Deputy Mayor Councillor Philani Mavundla recently hosted a delegation from the Netherlands who were in the City to share best practices on an array of issues, particularly water. Councillor Mavundla said the City is open to
collaboration and working closely with the Netherlands Embassy on issues such as water loss, boosting tourism, logistics, greening procedures, renewable energy, and innovation. “We must leverage on their expertise as they are among the top ten countries in the world when it comes to water issues. 

Learning how to effectively deal with water loss issues will benefit the Municipality,” he said. Netherlands Deputy
Ambassador Janneke Vrijland said: “It is important to have apolitical ties with the Municipality to share ideas and knowledge on how we are further developing our respective countries,” she said. The Municipality’s Water and Sanitation Senior Manager Dhevan Govender said cooperation with the Netherlands has already yielded pockets of positive benefits for the City. “The Centre of Expertise is one of the initiatives to try new, innovative technology. It does this by matching
the needs of the utilities with new technology,” said Govender.