Parliament, Tuesday, 24 March 2026 – The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) has today passed the South African National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency SOC Limited Amendment Bill, marking a key step in strengthening the governance of the country’s water infrastructure.
The Amendment Bill seeks to amend the South African National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency SOC Limited Act of 2024 to enhance the institutional and governance framework for water infrastructure in South Africa. It provides for the listing of the Agency as a major public entity in Schedule 2 of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), while also making provision for the delisting of the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority from Schedule 2 of the PFMA.
The Bill, which was classified as a Section 75 Bill by Parliament’s Joint Tagging Mechanism, was considered and deliberated on by the Select Committee on Cooperative Governance and Public Administration. In terms of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, a Section 75 Bill is an ordinary legislation that does not directly affect the provinces. Such Bills are considered by both Houses of Parliament, with each province in the NCOP casting one vote, and decisions taken based on individual member voting rather than provincial mandates.
As part of Parliament’s commitment to inclusive legislative processes, the Select Committee invited written submissions from members of the public on the Bill from 23 February to 9 March 2026. The FW De Klerk Foundation was the only organisation to submit comments. The Department of Water and Sanitation subsequently provided written responses and presented the Bill clause by clause. The Committee considered these inputs and adopted its report on 17 March 2026.
After thorough deliberation, the Select Committee recommended that the Bill be passed by the NCOP without amendments, ensuring the formalisation of the Agency’s status as a Schedule 2 public entity.
The Bill will now be sent to the President for assent.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
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