Parliament, Thursday, 27 August 2026– The Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation will this coming weekend hold public hearings in Limpopo Province on the Water Services Amendment Bill [B24-2025], providing communities and stakeholders with an opportunity to make their voices heard on proposed legislation aimed at strengthening the delivery, regulation and sustainability of water and sanitation services.
The hearings follow successful public participation processes held in Mpumalanga and North West, where the committee received substantive contributions from members of the public and water-sector stakeholders.
The public hearings form part of Parliament’s constitutional responsibility, in terms of Section 59 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, to facilitate meaningful public participation in its legislative and other processes.
The Bill seeks to address persistent challenges affecting South Africa's water sector, including unreliable water and sanitation services, inadequate management and maintenance of infrastructure, declining water quality, gaps in accountability and weak enforcement mechanisms.
Among its key proposals are the introduction of a mandatory licensing system for water service providers, minimum competency standards for water services professionals, clearer separation of responsibilities between Water Services Authorities and Water Services Providers, stronger penalties for non-compliance and enhanced enforcement powers for the Minister where persistent service-delivery failures occur.
Portfolio Committee Chairperson Mr Leon Basson said public participation is critical to ensuring that the proposed legislation responds to the realities experienced by communities. “The lived realities revealed during the public hearings we have held thus far point to the need to directly address the daily challenges of inadequate water and sanitation services. From overreliance on water tankers, lack of skills to operate water and sanitation infrastructure to weaknesses in governance at the municipal level, the people have crystallised the need for the amendment of the legislation,” said Mr Basson.
Mr Basson emphasised that public participation must extend beyond a procedural requirement and give communities a genuine opportunity to influence the legislative process. “Public participation is not merely a tick-box exercise. It is a constitutional imperative that ensures legislation is responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people. This process must be as inclusive, accessible and far-reaching as possible,” he said.
The committee is calling on Limpopo residents, traditional leaders, community organisations, civil society organisations, water-sector stakeholders and other interested parties to attend the hearings and make meaningful submissions on the Bill. Communities are particularly encouraged to share their experiences relating to water and sanitation service delivery, infrastructure management, water quality, accountability and enforcement. These submissions will assist Parliament in assessing whether the proposed legislative measures adequately address challenges on the ground and whether further amendments may be necessary.
Feedback from the public hearings already held in Mpumalanga and North West indicates strong support for the Bill’s proposals to strengthen accountability in the water services sector.
Participants particularly welcomed the proposed licensing framework and highlighted the potential benefits of making water service providers accountable to the conditions of their licences. The prospect of licences being revoked where providers fail to meet their obligations was viewed as an important incentive to improve performance and strengthen accountability in the provision of water services.
The Limpopo hearings therefore represent an important opportunity for communities to contribute directly to legislation that could have a lasting impact on the delivery and governance of water and sanitation services.
LIMPOPO HEARINGS
DATE | DISTRICT/LOCAL MUNICIPALITY | VENUE/TIME |
Friday, 28 August | Mopani District Municipality | 10:00 |
Saturday, 29 August | Capricorn District Municipality | Nirvana Community Hall |
Sunday, 30 August | Waterberg District Municipality | 10:00 |
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON WATER AND SANITATION, MR LEON BASSON
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Malatswa Molepo (Mr)
Parliamentary Communication Services
Cell: 081 512 7920
E-mail: mmolepo@parliament.gov.za
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