Ramaphosa Sounds Alarm on Water Crisis, Demands Urgent Action and Accountability

While acknowledging progress made since the advent of democracy, Ramaphosa highlighted a troubling decline in service reliability.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a strong call for urgent, coordinated intervention to address South Africa's deepening water crisis, warning that failing municipal systems are placing an unsustainable burden on citizens and the economy.

Speaking at an Extended Presidential Coordinating Council (PCC) meeting in Boksburg, the President placed water and sanitation challenges at the forefront of government priorities, describing the situation as one of the most pressing service delivery crises facing the country today.

Water Access Improves, Reliability Declines

While acknowledging progress made since the advent of democracy, Ramaphosa highlighted a troubling decline in service reliability.

• Access to piped water increased from 61% in 1996 to over 82% by 2022

• However, households experiencing water interruptions longer than two days rose from 24% in 2012 to 34% in 2024

"This deterioration shows that while infrastructure has expanded, its maintenance and reliability have worsened," the President noted.

He attributed the crisis to a combination of factors, including ageing infrastructure, illegal connections, weak maintenance practices, poor revenue collection, and institutional instability at municipal level.

Billions Lost Through System Inefficiencies

One of the most alarming revelations was the scale of water losses across major cities.

South Africa's eight metropolitan municipalities are losing an average of 34% of all water purchased before it can be billed, with some metros approaching 50% losses.

These losses, often due to leaks, theft, and inefficiencies, are placing severe financial strain on already struggling municipalities.

National Water Crisis Committee to Lead Response

To tackle the crisis, Ramaphosa confirmed that the National Water Crisis Committee, announced earlier this year, will spearhead implementation of a comprehensive National Water Action Plan.

The committee will coordinate efforts across national, provincial, and local government—mirroring the successful model used to address load shedding.

Key reforms already underway include:

• Establishment of a National Water Resource Infrastructure Agency

• Improvements in water-use licensing systems

• Reinstatement of monitoring tools to track municipal performance

• Implementation of the Metro Trading Services Reform Programme to stabilise finances

Five Principles to Drive Urgent Reform

The President outlined five core principles that will guide government's response:

1. Restoring accountability – Clear roles, timelines, and consequences for failure

2. Protecting financial integrity – Ring-fencing water revenues for maintenance and upgrades

3. Strengthening technical capacity – Deploying skilled engineers, technicians, and managers

4. Enforcing consequence management – Acting decisively against underperformance and corruption

5. Enhancing cooperative governance – Aligning all spheres of government around a shared goal

"There must be no space for corruption, criminality or sabotage," Ramaphosa said, stressing the need for discipline in execution.

Municipal Weaknesses at the Core

Beyond water services, the President acknowledged broader systemic challenges in local government, including:

• Weak revenue bases

• Skills shortages

• Governance instability

• Infrastructure neglect

"These failures result in poor service delivery, and it is ordinary South Africans who bear the cost," he said.

A forthcoming White Paper on Local Government is expected to play a key role in reforming how municipalities operate, alongside efforts to reduce bureaucracy and improve public sector professionalism.

Historic Gathering Signals Shift Toward Action

The Extended PCC meeting—bringing together mayors, municipal managers, and leaders across all spheres of government—was described by the President as a "historic" step toward improving coordination and delivering tangible solutions.

"This is not about repeating problems, but focusing on solutions," Ramaphosa emphasised.

Call for Political Will

While frameworks and plans are in place, the President stressed that success will ultimately depend on political commitment and cooperation.

"The National Water Crisis Committee provides the means, the Action Plan provides the roadmap—but what we need now is the will to implement," he said.

A Defining Test for Governance

As South Africa marks Freedom Month, the water crisis has emerged as a defining test of the country's governance systems and its ability to deliver basic services.

With rising public frustration and increasing pressure on infrastructure, the government's ability to execute reforms swiftly and effectively will be critical in restoring confidence and ensuring sustainable access to water.

"The country is looking to us to secure an uninterrupted supply of water… We have the means—now we must demonstrate the will," the President concluded.