South Africa: R7 Billion Plan to Address Emfuleni Water Woes

The Department of Water and Sanitation has committed over R7 billion over the next seven years to address the long-standing water and sanitation challenges in Emfuleni, Johannesburg, with a particular focus on the upgrade and refurbishment of wastewater treatment infrastructure.

Speaking at a post-Cabinet media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday, Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said intervention falls under Section 63 of the Water Services Act. The Act enables national government to step in where municipalities are unable to fulfil their water service delivery obligations.

"Substantial progress has been made to date, including unblocking of blocked sewer lines, replacement of collapsed sewer pipelines, refurbishment of pumpstations and assisting the municipality with vehicles, trucks, TLBs [tractor loader backhoe] and security for its water and sanitation infrastructure.

"This work has resulted in major reduction in sewer spillage in communities of Emfuleni as well as an improvement in the levels of effluent from the wastewater treatment works," Ntshavheni said.

Progress on Hammanskraal clean water

Cabinet also received an update on the ongoing interventions aimed at restoring access to clean drinking water for the community of Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria.

Ntshavheni reported that in 2023, the Department of Water and Sanitation appointed Magalies Water to construct a modular Package Plant to address water supply challenges in Hammanskraal.

"The Package Plant is being constructed in four modules, and the first module was completed in November 2024 and started supplying water in some areas. The plan is to complete the remaining modules by end August 2025 but with varying completion dates before then," the Minister said.

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