African Farming caught up with Sabelo Mdziniso, Administrative Assistant at the Incomati and Maputo Watercourse Commission (INMACOM), on the outskirts of the Mpumalanga AgricultSURE Small Scale Farmer Expo held at Mbombela Stadium recently. In this conversation, Mdziniso reveals the critical challenges facing farmers across three nations and the innovative solutions being developed to secure water for the future of agriculture. The Incomati and Maputo river basins flow through Eswatini, South Africa and Mozambique.
By Maile Matsimela, Digital Editor at African Farming
Q: What exactly does your organisation do?
A: We are a transboundary water resource management organisation for three member states: South Africa, Eswatini and Mozambique. We support the collaboration from the three member states. These members have an agreement in terms of how they are going to share the water from these two river basins.
The commission’s mandate extends far beyond simple water allocation. The role encompasses data sharing, environmental monitoring and coordinating responses to everything from floods to droughts. Our work is also to share data information to the three member states. When we’re saying sharing data, it means when there is rainfall, we share that data to the three member states. When there is an issue of heavy rain, we share the data as well.
This data sharing represents a lifeline for farmers who depend on accurate information to make critical decisions about planting, harvesting and protecting their livestock. The commission operates under the Southern African Development Community (SADC) framework, reporting directly to the council of ministers who then communicate with SADC heads of state.
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The Pollution Crisis Choking Our Rivers
Q: We often hear about water being polluted, especially by litter from human activities. How serious is this problem, and how is it affecting rivers that farmers depend on?
A: “It’s a huge challenge from the member states. People are throwing diapers in the rivers; they are throwing plastics in the rivers. The impact extends beyond aesthetics. There are livestock deaths caused by animals consuming plastic waste, a problem that directly affects farmers’ livelihoods. Industrial pollution also compounds the crisis, with chemicals making water recycling more expensive and complicated for municipal systems.
However, through funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), we will be visiting each member state to initiate waste management groups within those communities. This initiative, set to launch in 2026, represents a community-based approach to tackling pollution at its source.
The strategy focuses on working with informal settlements and high-pollution areas, recognising that sustainable solutions must involve the communities creating the problems. Rather than imposing top-down regulations, the commission plans to build local ownership of waste management systems.
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Climate Change: No longer A Distant Threat
Q: Regarding the basins you’re responsible for, would you say we’re still safe when it comes to water availability? Do we have enough water?
A: No, what I can say is that we are not safe because I’ve already alluded to issues of climate change. If there are issues of climate change, which has an impact on the whole of Africa, we are not spared from that.
The evidence is stark and immediate. We know that climate change has taken some sort of direction in terms of our river flows. We have seen the impact of climate change in the environment in terms of the water, the surface water as well, even groundwater as well.
For farmers, these changes translate into direct challenges. Climate change impacts farmers’ operations and their livelihoods just as much as it affects factories and the manufacturing industry. The predictable patterns that previous generations of farmers relied upon are disappearing, replaced by uncertainty that makes agricultural planning increasingly difficult. Climate change has really taken a twist in how we used to live 10 years ago.
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A Changed World, Changing Practices
Q: There are many misconceptions about climate change, with some people not believing it’s real. How serious is this issue, and what needs to be done to make people take it seriously?
A: What I can say is that [we have] changed a lot of things. We have cut more trees, which are environmentally friendly. Everyone has done something to influence these changes. We need to be active in tree planting, soil conservation and the construction of small dams to provide water reserves during increasingly unpredictable rainfall patterns.
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Research And Partnerships For The Future
Beyond immediate crisis response, the commission invests in understanding long-term trends. Through partnerships with organisations such as Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (GWPSA) and funding from the GEF, research projects examine future water scarcity scenarios and develop adaptation strategies specifically designed to help farmers.
These studies aim to provide practical guidance for agricultural decision-making, helping farmers choose appropriate crops, plan irrigation investments and adapt land use practices to changing conditions. The research component ensures that responses are based on scientific evidence rather than speculation.
