Parliament, Tuesday, 2 December 2025 – The Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation today received a comprehensive briefing from the Auditor-General South Africa (AGSA) on its first consolidated water sector audit report.
The findings reveal systemic failures across the water value chain, posing serious risks to public health, environmental sustainability and service delivery.
AGSA’s report highlighted alarming issues, including:
• Unsafe drinking water systems in 46% of municipalities and chemical safety failures in 44%.
• Near-total failure of wastewater treatment plants, with 99% failing at least one quality standard.
• Water losses amounting to R14.89 billion in the 2023/24 financial year.
• Delayed infrastructure projects, averaging 32 months, and widespread maintenance neglect.
• Material irregularities totaling over R1.7 billion across national and local entities.
The committee described these findings as shocking. It called for urgent accountability measures that include intensified oversight visits to provinces and municipalities; regular reporting and joint sessions with water boards; exploration of legal avenues, including a commission of inquiry into municipal water service failures; and consideration of criminal charges against municipalities polluting rivers and oceans with untreated sewage.
AGSA confirmed that recovery processes for financial losses are ongoing, with some cases referred to the Special Investigating Unit. However, legal complexities have delayed full recovery. The AG also stressed the need for accurate billing systems, prioritisation of maintenance budgets and stronger municipal oversight.
The AGSA also recommends that there should be support for the full operationalisation of catchment management agencies, enabling localised and inclusive water governance, to provide oversight over the preparation and implementation of the water services development plans and to provide effective oversight of corrective action plans implemented by water entities to address delays in infrastructure projects and maintenance.
The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Leon Basson said: “The state of our water sector is unacceptable. We cannot allow untreated sewage to poison our rivers and communities to suffer without clean water. Accountability must be enforced, and decisive action will follow.”
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, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Mava Lukani (Mr)
Cell: 081 503-1840
E-mail: mlukani@parliament.gov.za
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