Together with the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Ms. Pemmy Majodina, the Premier Dr. Zamani Saul officially handed over the World Heritage Irrigation Structure ( WHIS) Award to the Orange-Vaal Water Users Association in Douglas; who is responsible for managing the Douglas Weir.

The WHIS award, conferred by the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID), recognises irrigation structures of cultural, historical, and technological significance.

The 134-year-old Douglas Weir, located at the confluence of the Vaal and Orange rivers, was honoured by the ICID last September at its 9th Asian Regional Conference in Sydney, Australia. 

On behalf of the Northern Cape Provincial Government, the Premier congratulated both the farmers and the workers for the international recognition that they have received.

This is the first time that a South African irrigation structure has received the award since the inception of the WHIS recognition category in 2012.

The Minister Ms Pemmy Majodina and  Premier Zamani Saul also handed over a refurbished Water Purification Plant to the Siyancuma Local Municipality. 

The R28 million project involved the refurbishment of the ageing water purification plant, which had exceeded its 30-year design lifespan, and included general rehabilitation. This has allowed for the expansion of the treatment capacity.

The plant will filter a total capacity of 4 273 cubic metres per day of purified water to 4 704 households in Douglas.