Department spends billions on infrastructure, but communities still battle daily for water due to municipal ineptitude
Image Credit: Shutterstock/OUTA/ Departments of Water and Sanitation
Municipalities remain the biggest blockage in the water and sanitation systems.
WaterCAN welcomes the detailed 100-days update provided by the Minister of Water and Sanitation Pemmy Majodina, which gives updates on policy, big projects and, to some extent, the municipal problem.
However, WaterCAN is concerned that communities across the country still face daily battles to access basic water services. On Tuesday, while the Minister was briefing the media on her first 100 days in office, WaterCAN received complaints from three communities, in three different municipalities and three different provinces, about water cuts.
“The 100-day report by the Minister was indeed a good report of the ongoing work by the DWS. The Minister has mentioned once again that the challenges are at a municipal level,” says Dr Ferrial Adam, WaterCAN Executive Manager.
“We cannot continue to leave local municipalities to fix the water challenges. Given the issues we are seeing, national government has to get more involved.”
These are the complaints received by WaterCAN on Tuesday:
Gauteng: In South Hills and Linmeyer area, both in the City of Johannesburg, residents reported not having water for about 10 days. These areas are supplied by the Meyers Hill reservoir (Rand Water) and South Hills Water Tower (Johannesburg Water). The reservoir is very badly cracked and has been empty since about June 2023. JW tries to pump water directly to the South Hills Tower and then supply areas by gravity. These are the same areas that did not have water for about 55 days in 2023. The community protested and a public meeting was held with the previous minister. Once again the residents have had to protest to be heard.
North West: In the Sutelong commununity, Moretele Local Municipality, residents have been without water for the past four weeks, with no communication from the municipality. Water tankers were dispatched twice, and no further assistance has been provided. Residents are now forced to purchase water themselves, which many cannot afford due to the high unemployment rate.
Some community members have boreholes on their properties, but those without are forced to pay for water delivered by donkey caravans, often in 20-litre containers. Despite the local councillor’s efforts to fight for the community, the municipality has not responded to their needs. This area is served by Magalies Water, which reports to the DWS.
Mpumalanga: The Selobela community, in Chief Albert Luthuli Municipality, has been experiencing water shedding since August 2024, with water only available from 6am to 4pm daily, after which the water supply is cut off. Despite the ongoing crisis, the Chief Luthuli Municipality has only installed boreholes in the Gasela section and Selobela extension. Announcements about the water shedding are made only via Facebook, and no water tankers have been dispatched since the water shedding. This situation affects mostly elderly residents, who are unable to fetch water themselves and are forced to pay others for assistance.
The Minister’s report
The Minister’s report confirms the ongoing problem with municipalities. She noted that, as of June, municipalities owed water boards R22 billion, with six of the seven water boards affected, and the Vaal Central and Magalies boards facing bankruptcy as a result.
The Minister also noted that the department receive more than 250 complaints from communities over water security issues.
The Minister says her ministry and department have held engagements with premiers, MECs, mayors and municipal manager, and the Minister said commitments to pay were obtained from “most non-paying municipalities”. She also said their responses to community complaints including physical visits and referrals to relevant authorities.
WaterCAN would like to see stronger action taken against the municipalities, both as defaulters on water board debts as their failure or refusal to pay threatens lives and livelihoods, and as authorities which fail to manage the country’s most essential infrastructure.
The department’s plans to reform municipal water and sanitation services by amending the Water Services Act, is important and we await the revised amendment bill.
WaterCAN welcomes the Minister’s update on a number of big infrastructure projects, including the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Tunnel, the Hammanskraal water and sanitation works, the Emfuleni wastewater treatment systems upgrade, the eThekwini water and sanitation infrastructure and the problematic Giyani project.
It is important to have transparent and regular communication to build trust between government and civil society, for example, for the Minister to provide the details and reasons for the delay in the launch of the Special Purpose Vehicle in Emfuleni.
We note that last week Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS 2024) reported the department’s difficulties with completing project phases on all of its infrastructure under construction (see here), including lack of power and problematic contractors.
This department delivers the most fundamental service to South Africa. We all need it to succeed. WaterCAN calls on the Minister to continue with these updates, to push for more accountability against malfeasant authorities, and to keep the customer service channel open to desperate communities.
More information
A soundclip with comment by Dr Ferrial Adam, WaterCAN Executive Manager, is here.
About WaterCAN:
WaterCAN is a dedicated environmental organisation committed to preserving and protecting South Africa’s water resources. With a mission to promote responsible water management and raise awareness about water quality, the organisation empowers communities to become proactive stewards of their local water sources. If you would like to support our work, kindly Donate Here.
