Polokwane — Thirteen schoolchildren from deep rural Limpopo have been invited to attend Parliament, Cape Town, on Friday as water ambassadors.

National water affairs and forestry minister Ronnie Kasrils invited 10 children from Vuxeni high school in Namakgale and three from Sehloi primary school in Mabocha to attend the debate on his department's budget vote.

'The invitation acknowledges the role played by the youth in 2020 vision for water education programme,' said spokesperson for the provincial water affairs and forestry department,' Avhashoni Magada.

The programme aims to raise awareness of the water crisis in South Africa and develop life skills and value systems that promote the efficient equitable and sustainable use of water by all South Africans.

The high school children will perform a play and the primary school children will recite poetry and sing praise songs.

All 13 children participated in the Baswa le Meetse (Youth In Water) National Arts Competition in Midrand near Johannesburg in March, and walked away with two awards out of four categories.

Magada said Minister Kasrils initiated Baswa le Meetse after visiting the cholera-stricken Mqunduli village in the Eastern Cape, last year.

The Limpopo children leave for Cape Town tomorrow and will be accompanied by three teachers and two education department officials.