Parliament, Wednesday, 12 February 2025 – The Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation is gravely concerned by the unwillingness of role-players within the water value chain to urgently implement the recommendations contained in South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) inquiry reports. The slow or non-implementation of these recommendations amounts to a gross violation of the basic human right to access clean and quality water.
“The SAHRC is a critical institution that promotes our constitutional democracy and the complete disregard by various levels of government within the water value chain is worrying. The inquiry reports produced by the SAHRC are not to gather dust but must be taken seriously to improve the quality of life of South Africans,” said Mr Leon Basson, the Chairperson of the committee.
The SAHRC’s inquiry reports into the situation in KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Free State highlight well known problems within the sector, from high vacancy rates in technical water units to neglect and underinvestment in bulk infrastructure, municipalities’ inability to spend the National Treasury 8% norm on maintenance of infrastructure, unacceptably high-water losses, and high debt levels within the water value chain.
“All these challenges are well known and unfortunately there has been no willingness to tackle them head-on to resolve them. Authorities must respond positively to recommendations made by the SAHRC to promote and protect the rights of South Africans,” Mr Basson said.
Meanwhile, the committee is worried by the phenomenon of water mafias that are increasingly exploiting the problems that riddle the sector for their own selfish ends. The 6th Parliament Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation highlighted the worrying trend of manipulation and commercialisation of the water tankering system, and the sabotage and vandalism of infrastructure to enable tankering at excessive costs. “This emerging trend requires immediate and collaborative action by all, from communities to law enforcement agencies to bring the trend to an end,” Mr Basson emphasised.
Also, consequence management within the sector has been weak and that has exposed the system to continuous abuse. The committee called on the department and oversight bodies to strengthen oversight from municipal to national level to rescue the system from complete collapse.
The committee has also called on municipalities to play they legally mandated role within the value chain as the weaknesses within this sector are critical and require urgent action. Above all, everyone within the sector must enhance its processes to urgently and effectively implement recommendations made by the SAHRC.
The committee has thus resolved that it will receive periodic updates on the implementation of the SAHRC recommendations and those of other Chapter 9 institutions on challenges within the sector.
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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