Ramaphosa Pledges Action to Deliver Reliable Water Across South Africa

Ramaphosa said South Africa will continue investing in dams, pipelines, treatment plants and other large-scale water infrastructure to secure long-term supply.

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the government's immediate focus is turning the National Water Action Plan into practical action, with stronger oversight and clear accountability to ensure reliable access to running water for communities across South Africa.

In his weekly newsletter, released after the launch of the plan last week, the President said the country's water challenges require more than new infrastructure. He stressed that improving management, maintenance and financial oversight is essential if South Africa is to overcome years of unreliable water supply affecting many municipalities.

To drive implementation, the National Water Crisis Committee, known as WATERCOM, will meet regularly to monitor progress, coordinate government action and hold departments and public entities responsible for delivering results.

Tackling the causes behind water shortages

Ramaphosa said South Africa will continue investing in dams, pipelines, treatment plants and other large-scale water infrastructure to secure long-term supply. At the same time, many existing municipal water systems are struggling because they have not been properly maintained or financed.

According to the President, revenue collected from water services is often redirected to other municipal needs instead of being reinvested in repairing infrastructure, replacing aging equipment or hiring qualified engineers and technicians. This has contributed to a situation where nearly half of the country's treated water is lost through leaking pipes, theft or billing failures before it reaches paying customers.

He said the National Water Action Plan is designed to address these underlying problems by changing how water services are managed rather than relying only on building new infrastructure.

Legislative reforms and stronger financial management

Government is also introducing legal reforms through the Water Services Amendment Bill, which is currently before Parliament. The proposed legislation separates the role of municipalities as water authorities from the organisations responsible for delivering water services, creating clearer accountability.

Water service providers will be required to obtain operating licences based on their technical, financial and management capacity. Municipalities will only be allowed to appoint providers that meet these standards. Where local authorities cannot deliver acceptable services, national government will intervene within the framework of the Constitution and existing laws.

The President also highlighted the Metropolitan Trading Services Reform Programme, which requires revenue generated from water and sanitation services to remain within municipal water utilities instead of being diverted elsewhere. Those funds will be used for maintenance, infrastructure upgrades and operational improvements, while partnerships with private investors and lenders will help attract additional funding. Ramaphosa emphasized that these partnerships will not change the public ownership of water or reduce the state's responsibility to ensure affordable and universal access.

Projects already improving water access

Several measures under the action plan are already being rolled out across the country. Water boards are assisting struggling municipalities by drilling boreholes and providing emergency water supplies, while grant funding has been redirected to municipalities facing the most severe challenges. Government has also taken legal action against municipalities that failed to comply with the National Water Act and established six Catchment Management Agencies to protect major water systems.

Nationally, around $24 billion (R24 billion) is being invested each year through grants for municipal water and sanitation, supporting about 800 projects. Borehole programmes have already reached around 30,000 households in Mpumalanga, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, with another 80 to 100 boreholes planned this year and 500 more over the next two years to benefit approximately 250,000 households.

Major infrastructure projects are also underway, including a R1.3 billion programme in KwaZulu-Natal's uMkhanyakude District to improve water services for more than 130,000 households, a R2 billion project in Mpumalanga's Thembisile Hani Local Municipality to connect 65,000 households, and the creation of the Vaal Corporation Water Utility in Emfuleni through a partnership with Rand Water to strengthen water service delivery.

Ramaphosa said the National Water Action Plan was developed through consultations with national departments, provincial governments, municipalities, water boards and other stakeholders, adding that all parties are committed to ending South Africa's water crisis through coordinated implementation.