Parliament, Tuesday, 4 August 2026 – The Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation remains concerned about the continued delays in processing water use licences, yet this is the President’s commitment since 2020.
The committee believes that the department's inability to meet its own targets undermines government's efforts to use water as a catalyst for socio-economic development, economic growth, job creation and poverty reduction. The committee expressed these concerns today after receiving the Department of Water and Sanitation's first quarter performance report.
The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Leon Basson, said: "While the committee noted the department's acknowledgement that the underperformance resulted from limited human resources and the transfer of performance responsibilities to Catchment Management Agencies, this underperformance strikes at the heart of using water as an enabler of economic development."
The committee was informed that the department is currently approving approximately 68% of water use licence applications against a target of 85%. In response, the committee resolved that the department must provide a comprehensive report on the processing of water use licences to ensure renewed focus on expediting the application process.
The committee also expressed concern that the continued inability of municipalities to provide reliable water services, without a coordinated whole-of-government response, will continue to undermine the Department of Water and Sanitation's ability to achieve its performance targets.
Mr Basson said: "While the committee acknowledges the distinct constitutional roles of the different spheres of government, it remains unacceptable that a silo mentality persists within government. This only perpetuates the shifting of blame to the detriment of residents and businesses across the country. What is even more concerning is that this continues despite government's adoption of the District Development Model, which was intended to address fragmented planning and disjointed project implementation."
The committee emphasised that the delivery of water services should not be hampered by disputes over the functions of the various spheres of government. Instead, all spheres should fully utilise the intergovernmental relations framework to strengthen collaboration and ensure that communities have reliable access to water. In this regard, the committee welcomed the increased utilisation of Water Boards to intervene in municipalities that are unable to implement projects or lack the necessary technical capacity.
Meanwhile, the committee remains concerned about poor project planning which continues to delay the implementation of critical water infrastructure projects. The committee noted that obstacles such as environmental authorisations, procurement delays and challenges relating to land ownership should have been identified during the planning phase and mitigation measures implemented before project commencement.
"It is unacceptable that approximately 76 projects are currently not being implemented because of impediments that could have been anticipated and addressed through proper planning," Mr Basson said.
The committee also reiterated its concern over the escalating municipal debt owed to Water Boards despite interventions, including the withholding of equitable share allocations. Members of the committee were informed that municipal debt to Water Boards stood at R24 billion at the end of May 2026. Nevertheless, the committee welcomed municipalities that have continued to honour their repayment commitments.
While acknowledging areas of commendable performance, the committee expressed concern over the non-achievement of several first-quarter targets and the deferment of these targets to the second quarter. Furthermore, the committee warned that this could negatively affect overall annual performance, and of particular concern is the implementation of the audit action plan.
Although the committee recognises that certain performance indicators are affected by external factors, it urged the department to closely monitor its targets and implement the necessary interventions to ensure that annual performance objectives are achieved.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON WATER AND SANITATION, MR LEON BASSON
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Name: Malatswa Molepo (Mr)
Parliamentary Communication Services
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