Nomonde Mnukwa says her immediate task is to drive the utility's expansion plans.

Water utility Amatola Water has appointed former Eastern Cape Water Affairs and Forestry chief director Nomonde Mnukwa as its new chief executive officer for the next five years.

Amatola Water chairperson Nothemba Mlonzi says Mnukwa has vast experience and knowledge of the water sector in the province and which will be leveraged to the benefit of the utility as it embarks on a growth path.

"Mnukwa commands respect in the water sector having worked closely with municipalities in various capacities across the province and in KwaZulu-Natal. Her appointment as chief executive comes at a time when the utility has adopted an expansion strategy which aims to expand its operations to cover the entire province.

"We are confident that her experience and expertise will help us to achieve our intended objectives and provide strategic leadership in this period of growth," says Mlonzi.

Mnukwa, who hails from Mount Ayliff, says her immediate tasks would be to drive the expansion strategy of the utility and to position Amatola Water to make an immediate impact in the province.

"The Eastern Cape faces various challenges which the utility must tackle head on in order to make a meaningful impact in water services provision. We are one of the top three provinces in South Africa with a significant water services backlog. We are also hard-hit by climate change. We therefore need to continue our focus on water quality and skills development in order for the province to create a pool of talent in the water sector," says Mnukwa.

The University of KwaZulu-Natal MBA graduate's experience includes implementation and regulation in the water sector and the needs of water services from planning to operation. She is also deputy chairperson of the country's District Water Services Managers Forum.

Before her tenure at Water Affairs and Forestry, Mnukwa was water services authority director at the Sisonke Distrcit Municipality in KZN. She also acted as corporate services executive director at the municipality.