The AUDA-NEPAD Southern African Network of Water Centres of Excellence (SANWATCE), is delighted to announce that during a recent Network Board meeting, Piet Kebuang Kenabatho was formally inducted as the Chairperson of SANWATCE. During the precluding Network Assembly, all members of SANWATCE unanimously approved the nomination for Prof Kenabatho to be the incumbent Chairperson and guide the Network with the support of the Secretariat.
“Being part of the SANWATCE family for more than 13 years has provided me with the opportunity to see the Network grow and establish itself as a recognised and relevant entity to enable research and capacity development in the Southern African Water Sector. I look forward to serving the network and its stakeholders in my role as Chair, and ensuring that we remain a sustainable network of engaged institutions”, said Prof Kenabatho in a statement.
Dr Nico Elema, Director of the Centre for Collaboration in Africa at Stellenbosch University which hosts the secretariat of SANWATCE, also stated: “To have Prof Kenabatho as the Chair of the SANWATCE-network is truly an honour, and we look forward to supporting him over the next few years. He played such a significant and instrumental role in guiding us when we reviewed our governance model in 2023 after the network grew from its infancy in the late 2000s to now where we have matured as a network. We look forward to seeing how his guidance will take us as a family to new heights.”
More about Prof Kenabatho:
Professor Kenabatho is an Associate Professor of Hydrology and Water Resources at the University of Botswana (UB). He has more than 20 years of experience in the academic and practical environments. His areas of expertise include applied hydrology, hydrogeology, water resources management, climate change analysis, and risk assessment. He is also a recipient of the Minister’s Special Award for his contributions to Botswana’s water sector and policy development. He is a Board Member of Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) and Water Apportionment Board (WAB) in Botswana.
More about the AUDA-NEPAD SANWATCE
The AUDA-NEPAD Southern African Network of Water Centres of Excellence (SANWATCE) is a network of 11 Universities and Research institutions in Southern Africa, furthering research, capacity development, academic programmes, community engagement and strategic engagements within the water, and related sectors. Established by mandate of the African Unions’ African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) and Science and Technology (AMCOST) in 2005, the SANWATCE collaborates with nine other AUDA-NEPAD Water Centres of Excellence in Western Africa (WANWATCE) and Central/Eastern Africa (CEANWATCE) for Joint Learning to Networks of Water Centres of Excellence across the African Continent.
For more details, contact Dr Nico Elema (ne@sun.ac.za)
