In a forceful address marking the close of the National Water and Sanitation Indaba on Friday 28 March 2025, South Africa’s Deputy President Shipokosa Paulus Mashatile issued a stark warning about the multifaceted threats to the nation’s water security, from crumbling infrastructure to criminal exploitation and financial instability at the municipal level. Speaking at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Gauteng, Mashatile called for swift and decisive action to safeguard a resource he described as “essential for survival of our communities and households, for businesses to operate, for the economy to grow.”
The two-day summit, attended by a cross-section of stakeholders including Minister of Water and Sanitation Pemmy Majodina, local government leaders, and civil society representatives, laid bare the scale of South Africa’s water challenges. Mashatile, as Chairperson of the Water Task Team, highlighted the persistent disparities in access, noting that “19 percent of the rural population lack access to a reliable water supply, and 33 percent do not have basic sanitation services.” The Blue Drop Report, he added, “paints a grim picture of the country’s drinking water quality and infrastructure,” with deteriorating systems undermining decades of progress since 1994, when only 60% of households had access to improved water sources compared to 82.4% in 2022.
Yet, beyond the technical and logistical hurdles lies a more insidious problem: the manipulation of water shortages by criminal networks. “Both the President and Minister of Water and Sanitation have stressed the need to deal effectively with the criminal networks who manipulate water shortages for profit, tampering with infrastructure to sell water to desperate communities,” Mashatile said. He argued that improving infrastructure and enforcing monitoring mechanisms could “eliminate opportunities for these mafias to thrive,” a sentiment that resonated with delegates who see such activities as a direct assault on vulnerable populations.
Compounding the crisis is a “culture of non-payment for water services,” which Mashatile identified as “a major obstacle to municipal sustainability.” He explained that “ratepayers and businesses defaulting on payments create a chain reaction that destabilises the entire water supply system,” leaving municipalities cash-strapped and unable to maintain or expand services. To counter this, he proposed intensifying efforts “with municipalities to improve revenue collection, curb illegal connections and water wastage, and promote financial self-sufficiency and accountability in local governance.” The 2025 Budget, he noted, reflects this priority by ring-fencing water service revenue for infrastructure improvements and offering financial incentives to municipalities that meet delivery targets.
Mashatile framed these challenges within the broader context of South Africa’s constitutional obligations, citing Section 154, which mandates national and provincial governments to support municipalities in fulfilling their duties. “It is therefore imperative that municipalities do not fail to implement their constitutional obligations, particularly as they pertain to the provision of water and sanitation,” he said, emphasizing the Water Task Team’s role in bolstering local capacity.
The Deputy President also outlined a suite of interventions aimed at turning the tide. The Water Services Amendment Bill, currently in progress, will introduce a licensing system for providers, with licenses revocable if standards for quality drinking water are not met. Meanwhile, the Infrastructure Fund’s R23 billion investment in seven major water projects—coupled with high-profile developments like the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and the uMkhomazi Dam—signals a renewed focus on infrastructure renewal. The forthcoming National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency, championed by President Ramaphosa, promises to further enhance management and expansion of water assets.
Mashatile expressed hope that the Indaba would catalyze “an urgent and high-level national turnaround plan on water security,” aligned with the Government of National Unity’s Medium-Term Development Plan for 2025-2029. Yet, he was clear that success hinges on execution: “The resolutions of this Summit should be implemented in full and with speed. If we don’t implement them, we will not be able to achieve what we have set out to change.”
As delegates dispersed, Mashatile’s closing plea lingered: “Let us continue to work together towards a sustainable water future.” For a nation where water remains both a lifeline and a flashpoint, the stakes could not be higher.