Tackling corruption and criminality within the water sector also formed part of the strategy.
President Cyril Ramaphosa. Picture: GCIS
Government has released a new roadmap to end water supply interruptions, with a focus on infrastructure, accountability, and rooting out corruption.
President Cyril Ramaphosa released the National Water Action Plan on Thursday, following a meeting of the National Water Crisis Committee, known as WATERCOM, at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
The plan set out a focused, programmatic series of actions aimed at ensuring a reliable supply of quality water to all South Africans.
According to the presidency, it was designed to address the root causes of water supply challenges facing many municipalities across the country.
“The National Water Action Plan outlines a clear, practical and focused approach to ensure water security for all South Africans, no matter where they live.”
Ramaphosa compared the intervention to government’s earlier success in ending load shedding, saying: “By acting boldly and decisively to improve the performance of Eskom and reform our energy system, we were able to end load shedding and achieve a secure and reliable energy supply.”
Plan targets short, medium and long-term fixes
The plan outlined strategic interventions to tackle the water crisis over three time horizons.
It proposed increasing investment in infrastructure, including through private sector participation, while pushing legal and regulatory reforms to improve how municipalities delivered services.
Tackling corruption and criminality within the water sector also formed part of the strategy.
WATERCOM itself was established after the 2026 State of the Nation Address, in response to worsening water supply interruptions in several parts of the country.
The committee is chaired by the President and draws together various government departments, public agencies, and the South African Local Government Association, known as SALGA.
The presidency said the plan had been shaped through broad consultation across national, provincial and local government, along with associations such as SALGA.
WATERCOM was described as working directly with municipalities to mobilise resources and new partnerships to stabilise failing systems and expand access to water services nationwide.
Root cause traced to municipal funding model
A background note accompanying the announcement identified the water crisis’s root cause as an inappropriate delivery model, particularly the absence of ring-fencing for water revenues.
Funds collected for water services were often diverted to other municipal functions, according to the note, leaving less money available for infrastructure maintenance and skilled staff.
The note also pointed to diffuse accountability as a weakness, since municipal water departments typically handled technical functions but had limited control over billing, revenue collection and asset protection.
Dedicated teams have reportedly been mandated to drive implementation and accelerate results, with WATERCOM set to meet regularly to oversee progress and hold departments accountable.
