Water and Sanitation Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina.
Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers
The South African Local Government Association (Salga) has rejected water and sanitation minister, Pemmy Majodina's call for punitive legal action against municipalities over water issues, saying this would undermine collaborative problem-solving and also threaten to drain public resources.
Achieving clean water and sanitation for all has long been a goal of democratic South Africa, however in 2022 access to clean water stood at 88.5 per cent, and access to improved sanitation stood at 80.7 per cent. The issue has also been highlighted at the recent National Water and Sanitation Indaba with water supply issues experienced in parts of the country in recent months.
At the indaba, President Cyril Ramaphosa noted that “municipalities had not reinvested the revenue they earn from the provision of services to the upkeep of key water infrastructure”.
“Governance challenges and inefficiencies at the various reporting entities including the Water Boards have long been in the public domain. A number of water boards have been or are the subject of probes by the Special Investigating Unit for corruption and fraud. These are problems impacting a country with a growing population, that is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world,” the president said.
While Majodina said: “We have enough water, the reason why you see water running down the street, we have pumped that water but that water does not go to intended beneficiaries because there are leaks, illegal connections, there is vandalism. Therefore municipalities have a role. It is their duty to ensure they fix the water infrastructure.”
The department’s plans for punitive measures against municipalities was revealed last year when the minister responded to parliamentary questions, saying municipal managers and directors of companies responsible for polluting water could be slapped with personal orders should their institutions be on the wrong side of the law, amid plans to amend legislation. Similar comments emerged during the indaba.
“SALGA must express serious concern regarding statements made by the Minister of Water and Sanitation during the proceedings. Despite previous commitments, including one made by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in August 2024 to establish an inclusive intergovernmental structure that formally acknowledges the role of local government in the water sector, no tangible progress has been made. At the Indaba, SALGA restated a fundamental constitutional truth: local government is not a subordinate entity, but an equal and autonomous sphere of government.
“Particularly troubling was the outright rejection of SALGA’s call to avoid criminalising municipalities and instead pursue joint solutions that address systemic service delivery challenges. The Minister’s endorsement of punitive legal action against municipalities not only undermines collaborative problem-solving but also threatens to drain public resources, delay service delivery, and discourage skilled professionals from entering the local government sector.”
Cape Times