Boksburg: South Africa has welcomed the African Union's declaration of 2026 as the Year of Water, an important recognition that water security is fundamental to achieving the continent's developmental aspirations. Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Incomati and Maputo Watercourse Commission (INMACOM), held in Boksburg, Johannesburg, Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina emphasized the centrality of water in discussions on economic growth, climate resilience, food security, public health, and sustainable development. According to South African Government News Agency, the declaration underscores the urgency of investing in water infrastructure, water resource protection, and climate adaptation across Africa. Majodina highlighted the significance of the INMACOM meeting, which coincided with the fifth anniversary of the commission's establishment, as a testament to the importance of regional cooperation in managing shared water resources. Majodina noted that rivers trans cend borders, connecting landscapes, communities, economies, and ecosystems, thus illustrating the interconnectedness of nations. She also mentioned that the meeting took place during Africa Month, celebrating the founding of the Organisation of African Unity, now the African Union, reflecting principles of Pan-Africanism and regional integration. South Africa's role as co-host, alongside France, of an upcoming global dialogue on investment in water was also highlighted by Majodina. She stated that this initiative is an opportunity to mobilize international partnerships and investments to address global water challenges, recognizing water as a strategic development imperative and a critical enabler of economic transformation. The Minister warned of the pressures on water resources due to climate change, urbanization, population growth, and rising demand, calling for stronger collective capacity to adapt and respond to these challenges. She reiterated South Africa's commitment to INMACOM's objectives and col laboration with Mozambique and Eswatini for the sustainable management of the Incomati and Maputo river systems. Majodina concluded by stressing the broader significance of water security, linking it to Africa's development goals in food security, industrialization, social development, and economic transformation. "Without water security, there can be no food security, no industrialization, no meaningful social development, or sustainable economic transformation," she affirmed.