Ramaphosa announces R156bn plan to tackle South Africa's water crisis

President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged R156 billion towards water and sanitation infrastructure over the next three years, while warning that municipalities and officials who fail to manage water services properly could face legal consequences as the government intensifies efforts to tackle South Africa’s worsening water crisis.

In his weekly newsletter on Monday, Ramaphosa announced a series of interventions aimed at expanding access to safe and reliable water, improving ageing infrastructure and strengthening accountability in the water sector.

The announcement comes amid growing frustration from households and businesses affected by persistent water shortages, deteriorating infrastructure and poor municipal service delivery across several parts of the country.

“Over the next three years, government has allocated R156 billion to water and sanitation infrastructure as part of its broader public infrastructure investment programme,” Ramaphosa said.

The President said the investment forms part of a broader strategy to address water insecurity and improve access to water in underserved communities.

A key component of the plan is the newly launched National Water Access Acceleration Programme, which will focus on delivering water through decentralised supply schemes such as boreholes, groundwater development projects and rainwater harvesting systems.

The programme was officially launched in Hammanskraal, Gauteng, a community that has endured years of water supply challenges and where a cholera outbreak claimed lives in 2023.

“The programme is intended to shorten the time between identifying a community’s need and delivering a working water supply” Ramaphosa said.

As part of the initiative, boreholes were handed over to residents and the Klipdrift Package Water Treatment Plant was commissioned. Similar projects have also been rolled out in parts of Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

While highlighting progress made since the advent of democracy in expanding access to water, Ramaphosa acknowledged that government has fallen short in maintaining infrastructure and ensuring reliable services in many municipalities.

“We must acknowledge that in too many municipalities, government has not succeeded with the maintenance of infrastructure, to manage water services properly and to respond with sufficient urgency,” he said.

He noted that some communities continue to face severe water shortages, deteriorating water quality and collapsing infrastructure, despite constitutional guarantees of access to water.

To address these challenges, government established the National Water Crisis Committee earlier this year to coordinate interventions across all spheres of government.

The committee is tasked with strengthening municipal water and sanitation services, increasing infrastructure investment, reforming institutions and tackling corruption within the sector.

Ramaphosa also announced that legislative reforms are underway, including the Water Services Amendment Bill, which is expected to strengthen enforcement measures and introduce greater accountability for municipal officials.

“Public hearings will soon begin on the Water Services Amendment Bill, which will strengthen enforcement and enable municipal managers who fail to manage water infrastructure to be held personally liable,” he said.

The President warned that government would not hesitate to act against municipalities and officials who fail to comply with water and environmental legislation.

“Where municipalities or officials fail to comply with environmental and water-services legislation, government will use the enforcement mechanisms available to it, including directives, criminal proceedings and, where the law permits, personal liability,” he said.

Ramaphosa described water security as one of government’s most urgent priorities, saying communities that continue to endure water shortages are justified in demanding action.

“Households and businesses experiencing shortages and outages have had enough, and underserved communities across the country still waiting for taps to be installed 32 years into democracy are justifiably tired of waiting,” he said.

Drawing parallels with efforts to reduce load shedding, Ramaphosa said coordinated action, emergency interventions and long-term structural reforms would be required to resolve the water crisis.

“Our ultimate goal is not merely to get over the current crisis, but to fulfil Madiba’s vision of all South Africans enjoying their constitutionally enshrined right to access to water and of this right being secured for generations to come,” he said.

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