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AfriForum today called on Minister Pemmy Majodina, Minister of Water and Sanitation, to give the private sector the opportunity to save municipalities’ water and sanitation services from collapse. This request follows Majodina’s announcement that the water problems at each of the country’s 257 municipalities are so severe that they require national intervention, but that budgets do not allow it.

According to Lambert de Klerk, AfriForum’s Manager for Environmental Affairs, AfriForum has repeatedly pointed out that the country’s water crisis is a man-made problem that stems from the decay of municipal infrastructure and poor maintenance.

“Although certain water boards can provide bulk water, municipalities fall short in maintaining and managing water pipe networks and pumping stations and repairing water leaks. This is why the taps of millions of residents in all corners of the country often run dry, even though there is technically sufficient water available,” explains De Klerk.

De Klerk emphasises that now, in the absence of municipalities’ ability to manage the crisis and the national government’s inadequate budget, there is only one feasible solution, namely increased and seamless cooperation between the private sector and local government.

President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged in his State of the Nation Address in February that water, next to crime, is now the single biggest issue facing the country’s residents and that poor planning and inadequate maintenance are the root causes of the problem. During this address, he announced the formation of the National Water Crisis Committee and announced that more than R156 billion will be made available to finance water and sanitation infrastructure over the next three years. 

However, according to De Klerk, this approach does not offer a solution to the crisis. “The bureaucratic red tape should now be stripped away in the interest of every resident of the country so that practical solutions can be unlocked immediately. Experts from communities and the private sector must be allowed to collaborate with local government, adhering to clear standards, accountability, and transparency, to undertake the repair, maintenance, and management of water infrastructure. Without this level of cooperation, the crisis will only deepen. No ‘talking team’ that ultimately just wants to throw more money at the problem will avert the crisis – private sector involvement is now the only feasible solution.”

Issued by AfriForum