Grade 6 learners at Lochnerhof Primary School in Strand recently enjoyed a special visit from Manzi, the City of Cape Town‘s beloved Water and Sanitation mascot, as part of an innovative edutainment roadshow bringing water education directly into local classrooms.
The 45-minute interactive session combined song, dance and knowledge-testing games to teach students about the City’s ambitious New Water Programme, which aims to secure an additional 300 million litres of water daily through sustainable sources.
Since July last year Manzi has captivated learners across 14 Cape Town metro schools, transforming complex water concepts into engaging, age-appropriate lessons.
The curriculum focuses on four key water security projects that will safeguard the city’s future:
• Water re-use: Converting wastewater into clean drinking water (70-100 million litres daily)
• Desalination: Turning seawater into fresh water (50-70 million litres daily)
• River management: Clearing invasive plants to capture more natural water (30 million litres daily)
• Groundwater extraction: Accessing underground water sources (100+ million litres daily)
“This schools roadshow is more than awareness,” said Zahid Badroodien, Mayoral Committee member for Water and Sanitation, “it’s an investment in Cape Town’s future engineers, homeowners and policymakers. When youth understand that every water drop can be purified and reused they become citizens who truly value this precious shared resource.”
The programme emphasises hands-on learning, helping students understand how climate change affects water supply and why innovative solutions are essential for their city’s future.
- Schools interested in hosting Manzi can email: communications.waterandsanitation@capetown.gov.za.
