President Cyril Ramaphosa
Source: Africa Publicity
President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasized the need for swift solutions to South Africa’s worsening water crisis, stating that “the time for talking shop is over”.
Addressing the National Water and Sanitation Indaba in Midrand, Gauteng, Ramaphosa called on stakeholders to develop a comprehensive plan to address the crisis, which has been exacerbated by water leaks, illegal connections, and dilapidated infrastructure.
“What is needed now is course correction. We need to correct what is going wrong,” Ramaphosa said. “We also need a comprehensive plan that will expand access to water and sanitation services, improve the quality of water and sanitation infrastructure, and bring stability and good governance to all the entities involved in the South African water stewardship.”
The President also stressed the importance of modernizing water resource management and addressing financial mismanagement in local government. “The mismanagement in our local government space must also come to an end,” he said. “We must use modern methods of managing our water.”
Experts warn that South Africa is unlikely to meet Sustainable Development Goal 6 by 2030 due to the current state of the water sector. Teboho Mofokeng, a lecturer in UCT’s Department of Civil Engineering, highlighted several critical issues, including municipal audit reports showing widespread failure to achieve clean audits, ageing infrastructure, and unpredictable weather patterns.
To address these challenges, Treasury is working to introduce an independent economic regulator to ensure fair pricing and sustainable management of water services. The government is also implementing reforms in the rail, energy, and water sectors to improve their functioning.
In the water sector, the focus remains on improving municipal water services and promoting private-sector participation. With the water crisis showing no signs of abating, Ramaphosa’s call to action couldn’t be more urgent.
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