Steve Tshwete Local Municipality, located in the Nkangala District of the Mpumalanga Province was crowned the 2025 Green Drop Champions after attaining first position in the Best Performing Municipalities category during an award ceremony held at the Banquet Hall in Steve Tshwete Local Municipality to close the National Water Month on 31 March 2026.
Steve Tshwete Local Municipality captured the crown with a score of 85.5%, followed by George Local Municipality with a score of 84.4%, and the third position went to Mossel Bay Local Municipality with a score of 83.4%.
The Green Drop report also shows that the Mpumalanga Province recorded improvements in wastewater management with three municipalities sharing the Best Progress from 2021 – 2024 awards. Chief Albert Luthuli Local Municipality in Gert Sibande District came first with an improvement from 11% to 71%, Msukaligwa Local Municipality, also from Gert Sibande District came second with an improvement from 17% to 66.7%, and Thaba Chweu Local Municipality from Ehlanzeni District got third position with an improvement from 10% to 57.6%.
The Green Drop Report, which reflects a full audit of 848 municipal wastewater treatment systems for the 2023/24 financial year, presents a concerning picture of declining wastewater performance across the country. The findings confirm a sustained and worsening deterioration in the management of municipal wastewater systems.
The percentage of wastewater systems in a critical state has increased significantly from 39 percent, representing 334 systems in 2022, to 47 percent, representing 396 systems in 2025. At the same time, systems performing at excellent or good levels have declined sharply from 14 percent, or 118 systems, to just 8 percent, or 66 systems. Only 14 systems achieved Green Drop certification in 2025, down from 22 in 2022. These results show that systems previously operating at a poor level have continued to deteriorate into critical failure, placing increasing pressure on water resources, the environment and public health.
Addressing the delegates, Minister Pemmy Majodina said the report must be treated as a decisive moment for the sector.
“This report is not a routine compliance exercise, but lays bare the true state of wastewater management in our country and reflects how effectively we are protecting our water resources and safeguarding the dignity of our people. The deterioration we are seeing is unacceptable, and it demands urgent and sustained action,” said Minister Majodina.
Meanwhile, the Department of Water and Sanitation is responding decisively to these findings with a strengthened programme of enforcement, investment and reform aimed at reversing the decline and restoring system performance. A central focus is the urgent implementation of corrective action plans for all systems in a critical state. The Department is intensifying oversight and will enforce compliance more rigorously, including taking regulatory action against municipalities that fail to implement required interventions.
“We cannot allow a situation where infrastructure continues to fail while plans remain on paper. Implementation must be immediate, visible and measurable. Where there is inaction, the Department will act,” sternly expressed Minister Majodina.
Legislative amendments currently before Parliament will further strengthen the Department’s ability to enforce compliance and intervene where necessary. These reforms will require municipalities to partner with capable and licensed water service providers where they lack the capacity to deliver, ensuring that technical expertise is brought in to stabilise failing systems.
The Drop Reports highlight persistent structural weaknesses, including inadequate maintenance of infrastructure, failure to adhere to standard operating procedures, shortages of skilled personnel, weak financial management and governance failures. These challenges are further compounded by vandalism, illegal connections, corruption and broader criminal activity affecting infrastructure.
The reports remain a critical regulatory tool to drive accountability, transparency and improvement in the sector. They provide credible information to the public, guide corrective action and enable enforcement where standards are not met. Municipalities are required to inform consumers where drinking water poses a health risk, and where water meets SANS 241 standards, it is safe for consumption.
The findings of the 2025 reports present a clear call to action. The Department is intensifying efforts to stabilise the sector through stronger regulation, targeted investment, enhanced oversight and coordinated national intervention. The Green Drop Report not only reflects the current state of wastewater management but sets the direction for urgent and sustained reform.
“This report tells us where we stand as a country. What matters now is what we do next. What will happen is that we will not accept decline as the norm. We will act, enforce, and rebuild. The dignity, health and future of our communities depend on it,” Minister Majodina concluded.
The full report is available to the public on the Department of Water and Sanitation website. Use this link: https://ws.dws.gov.za/IRIS/latestresults.aspx
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