Parliament, Sunday, 30 August 2026 – Residents of the Greater Capricorn District Municipality have emphasised the importance of holding Municipal Managers and Company Directors of Water Service Providers criminally and civilly liable for failing to deliver quality water services. The residents shared these views during the second public hearing on the Water Services Amendment Bill hosted by the Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation at the Nirvana Community Hall in Polokwane yesterday.
They argued that the prospect of fines of up to R10 million, imprisonment of up to 10 years, and personal liability for lost public funds, environmental cleanup and rehabilitation would provide a necessary deterrent against what they described as the persistent failure by water services authorities to provide quality services.
Residents shared harrowing accounts of communities that have gone for years without reliable drinking water, persistent sewage spillages and dependence on unsafe or inadequate alternative water sources. They argued that stronger personal liability provisions are necessary to ensure that those responsible for water service failures cannot evade accountability.
Residents also welcomed provisions in the Bill aimed at clearly separating the functions of Water Services Authorities and Water Services Providers. Participants said the distinction between policy, regulation and oversight on the one hand, and day-to-day operations and service delivery on the other, would strengthen accountability and help prevent conflicts of interest.
There was strong support for the proposed mandatory licensing of water service providers, enhanced enforcement of licensing conditions and provisions allowing licences to be suspended or revoked where providers persistently fail to deliver services.
However, they called for the Bill to address the potential disruption of services when a licence is suspended or revoked. They proposed that the licensing authority be empowered to issue an emergency licence within 48 hours to ensure that communities are not left without essential water services during the transition.
The role of traditional leadership also emerged as an important concern. Participants argued that, given the predominantly rural character of Limpopo, the Bill should more clearly recognise the role of traditional authorities in water governance and service delivery. Some residents further expressed concern that the Bill appears to be more responsive to communities that already have established water services, particularly in urban and semi-urban areas, than to rural communities that continue to experience severe service gaps.
As with the first hearing in Mopani, communities in Capricorn raised concerns about the continued reliance on water tankers as a mechanism for providing water services. Participants argued that prolonged dependence on tankers creates opportunities for corruption across the water value chain and can weaken incentives to invest in sustainable, long-term water infrastructure.
The Committee expressed concern over the accounts presented by residents about the daily realities of inadequate access to quality water services. Participants reported dry taps for periods of up to five years, reliance on untreated borehole water, persistent sewage spillages and the delivery of dirty water through tankers.
Acting Chairperson of the committee, Mr Sello Dithebe, said the experiences shared by communities underscore the importance of strengthening legislation governing water services. “This is the very reason that this Bill is introduced, to ensure that people are recipients of quality service delivery. We have heard your views, and we will consider them fully after we gather all views across the country. But our people deserve quality services, and this Bill has the potential to ensure that,” said Mr Dithebe.
The committee will conclude its Limpopo leg of public hearings today at the Bela-Bela Multi-purpose Centre. The Committee encourages residents of the Waterberg District Municipality to participate in the hearing and make their views on the Bill known.
LIMPOPO HEARINGS
DATE | DISTRICT/LOCAL MUNICIPALITY | VENUE/TIME |
Sunday, 30 August | Waterberg District Municipality | 10:00 |
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE ACTING-CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON WATER AND SANITATION, MR SELLO DITHEBE
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