President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced the establishment of a National Water Crisis Committee, which he will personally chair.
This as government intensifies efforts to confront South Africa's deepening water challenges.
Delivering the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday, the President elevated water to one of the country's most pressing concerns, from large cities such as Johannesburg to smaller towns like Knysna and rural areas such as Giyani.
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"Three years ago, when we were experiencing daily power cuts, we established the National Energy Crisis Committee to enable a focused national response. We overcame what seemed like an insurmountable challenge by adopting a clear plan and delivering on it.
"Using the same approach, we will now elevate our response to the water crisis to a National Water Crisis Committee, which I will chair," the President said.
The committee, he said, will ensure swift, coordinated action to address persistent water supply disruptions affecting communities across the country.
The move comes amid mounting frustration in provinces such as Gauteng, where residents have endured recurring water outages, low pressure and infrastructure failures.
Municipalities in parts of Tshwane, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni have faced repeated supply interruptions linked to ageing infrastructure, poor maintenance, power failures at pumping stations and growing demand.
"We have all seen the pain that our people have been expressing through demonstrations in various parts of Gauteng. These protests have been fuelled by frustrations over inadequate and unreliable access to basic services such as water," President Ramaphosa said.
Other provinces, including the Eastern Cape, North West and Limpopo, have also battled prolonged water shortages, with some communities relying on water tankers for extended periods due to dysfunctional treatment plants and failing municipal systems.
President Ramaphosa acknowledged that the crisis is rooted in systemic weaknesses at municipal level.
"Poor planning and inadequate maintenance of water systems by many municipalities are the main cause of the problems we are going through now and are the reason that taps often run dry.
"There is no silver bullet to address this challenge, which has its roots in systemic failures and many years of neglecting infrastructure," the President said.
He added that, however, the real challenge lies not in the availability of water, but in getting water to people's taps.
President Ramaphosa said the National Water Crisis Committee will ensure that action is taken swiftly to address these challenges and strengthen coordination across all spheres of government.
"This structure will bring together all existing efforts into a single coordinating body. It will deploy technical experts and resources from national government to municipalities facing water challenges. It will ensure that action is taken swiftly and effectively to address the problem," he said.
In a strong warning to non-performing municipalities, the President indicated that government will move to lay criminal charges against municipal managers who violate provisions of the Water Services Act.
"To address the challenges effectively we will not hesitate to use the powers enshrined in the Constitution and in the Water Services Act to intervene in municipalities where necessary. We will hold to account those who neglect their responsibility to supply water to our people," he said.
Government has already laid criminal charges against 56 municipalities that have failed to meet their obligations.
"We will now move to lay charges against municipal managers in their personal capacity for violating the National Water Act," he said.
The intervention signals a shift toward greater accountability in the water sector, where infrastructure neglect, financial mismanagement and lack of technical capacity have contributed to deteriorating services.
"The critical problem is that in many metros, cities and towns, water revenue is being used for other purposes and very little is invested in upgrading and maintaining water infrastructure," the President said.
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The country's water infrastructure has come under increasing strain in recent years, with experts warning that billions of rands are needed for maintenance, upgrades and new bulk supply projects. In Gauteng, concerns have also been raised about system overuse and delayed infrastructure expansion to match rapid urban growth.
Government has previously rolled out support interventions through the Department of Water and Sanitation and National Treasury, but implementation at municipal level has remained uneven.
By placing the crisis committee under his direct leadership, President Ramaphosa is seeking to elevate the urgency of the matter and drive stronger oversight and consequence management.
The President emphasised that reliable access to water is a basic right and central to economic development, public health and human dignity, committing significant investment to the sector.
"We have committed more than R156 billion in public funding for water and sanitation infrastructure alone over the next three years," he said, adding that projects such as the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and the Ntabelanga Dam are advancing. - SAnews.gov.za
