Ramaphosa says legal action and interventions will target worst-performing municipalities over water failures

President Cyril Ramaphosa has said legal action is being taken against municipalities that have violated the National Water Act and warned the national government will step in where municipalities fail to provide acceptable water services.

National Water Action Plan and targets

In his weekly letter to the nation, Ramaphosa said the government is prioritising resolution of South Africa’s water crisis and that a key milestone was the publication last week of the National Water Action Plan. The plan sets out government goals to ensure every community has access to a reliable supply of high-quality drinking water.

Intervention for worst-performing municipalities

Ramaphosa said intervention will focus on the worst-performing municipalities, where he said “corruption and mafias have become entrenched.” He said grant money has been redirected to these municipalities as part of the plan, and that legal action has been taken against dozens of municipalities that violated the National Water Act.

“Where a municipality is failing, unwilling or unable to provide an acceptable service, government will intervene in accordance with the Constitution and the law.”

He added that intervention can include appointing another water utility to run services in place of a municipality to ensure residents receive required services.

Problems in municipal water management

Ramaphosa said many municipalities have been redirecting revenue from water sales to other municipal functions, leaving insufficient funds to repair pipes, replace pumps or employ qualified engineers and technicians. He said that, on average, close to half of all the water pumped never reaches paying customers, because it leaks from broken pipes, is stolen or is never billed.

He warned: “We cannot build our way out of the crisis if we do not properly maintain and manage the infrastructure we already have.”

Changes to financing and private-sector involvement

The plan will change how municipal water services are financed, particularly across the eight major metropolitan areas, where metros are being incentivised to ring-fence revenue from water and sanitation so it can be reinvested into utilities for maintenance and operations.

Ramaphosa said the Water Services Amendment Bill before Parliament will establish a clearer separation between a municipality’s role as authority and the operator that delivers water, so both can be held to account.

He also said there is a push to involve the private sector in financing, while emphasising that this “does not mean surrendering public responsibility for water.” He said contractors will be paid according to results delivered and that “Water will remain a public good, and the state will continue to protect public ownership, affordability and universal access.”

Targeting criminal elements

Ramaphosa said a core focus is dealing with criminal elements that have captured municipal water services, including corruption and criminal networks benefiting from irregular water contracts and damage to infrastructure.