Honourable Members,
An unreliable supply of water places a heavy burden on the lives of many South Africans and the ability of businesses to operate.
That is why, in the State of the Nation Address in February, I directed the establishment of the National Water Crisis Committee to ensure a coordinated response to the water crisis.
Work is currently underway to finalise the National Water Action Plan and establish the National Water Crisis Committee. It is expected that this will be completed by the end of March 2026.
The National Water Crisis Committee will focus on three key priorities:
Firstly, to address immediate challenges in municipal water and sanitation delivery through a focus on a limited number of municipalities.
Secondly, to expedite institutional, financial and regulatory reforms to address the systemic causes of the water crisis.
Thirdly, to attract investment in water infrastructure, increasing both public and private sector investment.
The main causes of the water crisis are at a local government level.
Maintenance of municipal water and sanitation infrastructure has been neglected in many municipalities over decades. There is therefore a huge backlog for the repair and refurbishment of water services.
The situation has been exacerbated by a lack of capacity,organised crime, widespread theft of water infrastructure, corruption, poor billing and revenue management, illegal connections and leaks.
Solving South Africa’s water crisis therefore requires a multifaceted approach focused on institutional reform, infrastructure maintenance and human capital development at the municipal level.
We need to focus our attention on strenthening the capacity of Water Service Authorities to manage resources, reduce demand and maintain critical systems effectively.
Where necessary, existing powers outlined in the Constitution, the National Water Act and the Water Services Act will be used to intervene in municipalities that fail to meet their obligations or to implement corrective measures.
This includes laying criminal charges against municipalities or municipal managers for contravening the requirements of the National Water Act.
Where necessary, national government will assumeresponsibility for water services in municipalities which fail to discharge their service delivery obligations.
The amendment of the Water Services Act will enable stronger intervention where a water service provider fails to adhere to its license conditions.
In addition, we are implementing the Metro Trading Services Reform programme.
This is a performance-based incentive – worth R54 billion over six years – to overhaul electricity, water and waste services in South Africa’s eight metropolitan municipalities.
The programme introduces an incentive-based grant system that rewards metros for improving financial management and achieving specific service delivery targets.
This programme aims to reverse long-term service decline, improve financial sustainability and unlock additionalinvestment.
As has been done to great effect by the National Energy Crisis Committee, the National Water Crisis Committee will bring together role-players from across the state to undertake a clear set of focused and impactful interventionsthat will make a real and lasting difference in people’s lives.
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