Statement by Minister of Water and Sanitation, Ms Pemmy Majodina, on the launch of National Water Month
We are meeting here this morning in Gauteng to mark National Water Month. As leaders across all spheres, we have come here to demonstrate our collective resolve and determination to confront water supply challenges wherever they may rear their ugly heads.
National Water Month is commemorated annually in South Africa during the month of March. It is South Africa’s expansion of World Water Day, which is observed on 22 March and focuses its attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
National Water Month is a moment to reflect on water supply challenges, strides we have made together to expand access to water, and the long road that we still need to traverse.
The department and its partners reaffirm their unwavering commitment to addressing the pressing water challenges faced by communities across South Africa. Anchored around World Water Day observed annually on 22 March, this critical period highlights the urgent need to tackle water scarcity, improve infrastructure, and ensure equitable access to clean water and sanitation for all.
The Water Month programme is particularly significant as it aligns with Human Rights Month and International Women’s Day, underscoring the critical role of water as a fundamental human right and its disproportionate impact on women, who often bear the brunt of water scarcity.
Water is the foundation of life, essential for human survival, economic development, and environmental sustainability. Yet, millions of South Africans continue to face challenges in accessing clean water and safe sanitation. The government has elevated water to the top of its agenda, recognising that universal access to water and sanitation is not only a moral imperative but also a prerequisite for sustainable development.
Water supply in Gauteng
It is befitting and symbolic that we are hosting this event in Eikenhof, Johannesburg, today. The City of Johannesburg and other parts of the province and country have experienced water supply disruptions. Eikenhof pumpstation supplies Joburg Water which feeds to reservoirs that include Soweto, Roodepoort and Randburg, Commando (Brixton, Crosby and Hursthill), Lenasia and parts of Johannesburg central including Eagles Nest, Crown Gardens, Aeroton and Alan Manor reservoirs.
The recent water supply disruptions were caused by breakdowns of electrical facilities in the electricity distribution systems of the City of Johannesburg and Emfuleni Local Municipality. These electrical breakdowns resulted in disruptions to the operations of Rand Water’s Eikenhof pumpstation and Vereeniging Water Treatment Works, which rely on the municipal electricity supply systems for power. This in turn resulted in a situation where Rand Water was unable to pump sufficient water into reservoirs which serve parts of Johannesburg, Emfuleni, Ekurhuleni, Rand West, Mogale City and Merafong.
City Power repaired its breakdown within an hour and Emfuleni Local Municipality repaired its breakdown within a day. In order to reduce the risk of further breakdowns of the electrical substation in Emfuleni that provides power to Rand Water’s Vereeniging Water Treatment Works, Eskom has agreed to immediately assist Emfuleni Local Municipality to ensure that the substation is properly maintained and operated.
Eikenhof remains the primary supply to Rand Water’s pump station. In this regard, City Power has started implementing plans to strengthen supply to Eikenhof. Among other things, the plan involves upgrading of Eikenhof Substation.
Demand for water in Gauteng has grown rapidly, largely due to population growth, and partly due to increasing leaks in municipal distribution systems. In this context, the demand-supply relationship for treated water in Gauteng is very tight and the system is vulnerable to disruptions caused by heavy load shedding, electro-mechanical breakdowns or theft of cables.
The situation is exacerbated by high water leakages in municipal water distribution systems, illegal connections and high average water consumption per capita in Gauteng, which is 60% more than the world average.
The Department of Water and Sanitation, Rand Water, the provincial government and the municipalities have agreed on a range of measures that must be implemented to reduce the risk of such disruptions in future, and the three spheres of government are working together to implement these measures. The Platform for Water Secure Gauteng (PWSG), which is a collaboration between all three spheres of government, business and civil society leaders to provide better information to residents regarding water supply issues in the province, is working on a communication and awareness campaign to raise consciousness on the need to use water more sparingly.
The Department of Water and Sanitation continues to work with the Gauteng Provincial Government, Rand Water and all municipalities in Gauteng to reduce the risk of water supply disruptions in the province. Daily and weekly meetings involving the three spheres of government are taking place at a technical level to ensure a well-coordinated approach to manage water supply disruptions.
Our practical response to the State of the Nation Address
Through the January 8 Statement and the State of the Nation Address, water has been elevated to one of the apex national priorities. As the department, and the water sector in general, we are determined to respond practically to this clarion call by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
We welcome the announcement that government will spend over R940 billion on infrastructure over the next three years to revitalise roads and bridges, build dams and waterways, modernise our ports and airports and power our economy. In response, our department is identifying key unfunded projects (both national water resource infrastructure and water services infrastructure) to be considered for funding by Treasury. This will put the department in a good position to gain access to the R100 billion mentioned by the President.
We are developing innovative ways of funding infrastructure. We are engaging local and international financial institutions and investors to unlock R 100 billion in infrastructure financing. To date, the Infrastructure Fund has secured R23 billion for seven large water infrastructure projects.
We are taking a series of decisive actions to resolve the water crisis, to enable our people to get water where they live, whether in townships or rural areas.
Starting this year, we will work with our municipalities to establish professionally managed, ring-fenced utilities for water and electricity services to ensure that there is adequate investment and maintenance. We will expand our support to municipalities that require assistance, drawing on the lessons of the Presidential eThekwini Working Group.
The department will play a similarly leading role in any other Presidential Working Groups set up for other metropolitan municipalities or major towns. DWS will continue to offer support to municipalities in the form of grant funding, appointing Water Boards as implementing agents to assist struggling municipalities to delivery, planning support, support for partnerships through the Water Partnerships Office, and general water services management advice. We will support the review of the funding model for municipalities as many of them do not have a viable and sustainable revenue base.
At all times, we must remember that South Africa is a water-scarce country, with an average annual rainfall of 465 mm, half the global average and a high evaporation rate. Approximately 75% of the country’s exploitable surface water resources are already harnessed, limiting further expansion of surface water storage infrastructure.
Communities across the country continue to experience frequent water supply disruptions, sewage spillages, and deteriorating infrastructure. The average reliability of water supply has declined to 67%, while non-revenue water due to leaks, theft, and inefficiencies has surged to an alarming 47%.
The latest Blue and Green Drop Reports highlight a concerning decline in water quality, threatening public health and exacerbating inequalities. South Africa’s average water consumption of 218 litres per capita per day far exceeds the global average of 173 litres, placing immense pressure on available resources. Climate variability and rapid urbanisation further compound these challenges, necessitating urgent and decisive intervention.
Consistent with the pronouncement of the President, the Department of Water and Sanitation is prioritising the effective use of allocated funds to implement key initiatives that will transform the water sector and uplift struggling communities. The following measures are being put in place:
- Halting the Decline in Water Supply Reliability: Improving municipal water infrastructure through enhanced maintenance, refurbishment, and expansion to reduce water losses, improve efficiency, and secure supply for future generations.
- Diversifying the Water Mix: Accelerating sustainable groundwater extraction, water reuse technologies, and seawater desalination while promoting water conservation and demand management.
- Ensuring Financial Sustainability: Strengthening revenue collection, governance, and anti-corruption measures to ensure that every Rand allocated to water infrastructure directly benefits those in need.
The Department is also implementing interventions in all provinces to arrest water quality decline and water supply challenges. In Gauteng, where cities like Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Ekurhuleni have faced severe water disruptions, the Department is working collaboratively with all stakeholders to implement robust interventions to stabilise supply and enhance resilience. Collaborative efforts with municipalities and the provincial government are underway to improve infrastructure management, address leaks, and enforce against illegal connections.
In KwaZulu-Natal, projects such as the raising of the Hazelmere Dam wall and the expansion of the Hazelmere Water Treatment Works are already augmenting water supply. Similarly, in the Free State, the Matjhabeng Local Municipality is receiving a R500 million grant to refurbish the Balkfontein and Virginia Water Supply Scheme, improving water access and quality for thousands of residents.
The refurbishment aims at improving the water supply and water quality in all the towns of Matjhabeng. More interventions are underway in Maluti-a- Phofung and several areas which are struggling with water supply. Overall, most of our provinces require both short and long-term interventions such as the Mzimvubu Water Project in the Eastern Cape.
The Lesotho Highlands Water Project, Phase 2, currently under construction in the highlands of Lesotho, remains a critical initiative to augment the Integrated Vaal River System, which supplies water to Gauteng and other provinces. The maintenance on the Lesotho Highlands Water Project tunnel, which began in October last year is nearing its completion at the end of March.
While recent above-normal rainfall has replenished dams in several provinces, it has also caused flooding in some areas. This calls for enhanced efforts aimed at adaptation of climate change. Thus, the Department is urging the public to exercise caution in flood-prone regions. The Department remains committed to implementing climate adaptation strategies to protect communities, water resources, and ecosystems.
Water Month Programme
To mark National Water Month, the department has organised a series of activities to promote water security, sustainable management, and equitable access to clean water and sanitation. Key events include:
1 March 2025: Oversight visit to Eikenhof Pump Station, Johannesburg, Gauteng
Minister of Water and Sanitation Minister, Pemmy Majodina will launch the Water Month programme through an oversight visit to the Rand Water Eikenhof Pump Station, Johannesburg, Gauteng. She will be joined by Deputy Ministers, David Mahlobo and Sello Seitlholo, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, Gauteng MEC for Infrastructure and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Jacob Mamabolo and the Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Dada Morero.
Minister Majodina will inspect the pumpstation which underwent a major maintenance by Rand Water in December last year. The maintenance of the pump station was necessary to correct some of its historical defects and to also increase the flexibility and availability of engine rooms at the pump station.
8 March 2025: Water and Sanitation International Women’s Day – Kwa- Mhlanga, Thembisile Hani Municipality, Mpumalanga
In recognition of International Women’s Day, we will host an event under the theme "Accelerate Action", focusing on gender equality in water and sanitation. This day will highlight the role of women in water resource management and raise awareness about water security as a fundamental human right. The event will take place in a water-scarce area, where the Loskop Bulk Water Project is underway, and boreholes donated by the Rand Water Foundation will be handed over as an interim solution
12 March 2025: Women in Water Diplomacy Network’s International Women’s Day Webinar
Minister has been invited to deliver a keynote address at this global event, which brings together women diplomats, decision-makers, and experts in transboundary water governance. The event will be attended by international organizations such as UN Water, UNECE, UNDP, the World Bank, and the African Union, among others.
25 March 2025: Launch of the Water Sector Anti-Corruption Forum
In collaboration with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and other partners, we will launch the Water Sector Anti-Corruption Forum. This structure is aimed at building a relationship of collaboration, consultation, mutual support and co-operation to address the key vulnerabilities that have been identified in the water sector. We are committed to rooting out corruption in this sector through consequences such as criminal prosecution and civil litigation as well as through prevention initiatives such as corruption risk assessments,awareness programs, identification and detection of corruption, control improvement, systemic recommendations, monitoring and reporting.
27–28 March 2025: Water and Sanitation Indaba in Gauteng
The Department of Water and Sanitation will conclude its National Water Month commemoration with a Water and Sanitation Indaba in Gauteng. This event serves as a follow-up to the Water Summit held in January 2024, which brought together all Water Services Authorities to address key sector challenges, following the release of the Drops Reports. The Summit established an Action Plan to tackle these issues, and the Indaba will provide an opportunity to assess progress made and identify further steps needed.
With water security now a top government priority for 2025, bold and innovative strategies will be implemented to address the pressing challenges in the sector. The Indaba will focus on practical, actionable solutions to enhance the performance and sustainability of the water and sanitation sector.
The Ministry of Water and Sanitation reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that every South African has access to clean, safe, and sustainable water and sanitation services. It further acknowledges the current significant challenges, but notes that through decisive action, strategic investments, and collaborative partnerships, there will be positive inventions rolled out.
Water is not just a resource; it is a fundamental human right, an enabler of economic growth, and a pillar of public health. Together, we must protect, conserve, and efficiently manage this precious resource for present and future generations.
The President has spoken. Let us move forward with urgency, unity, and purpose to ensure that water security becomes a reality for all. Working together, we will turn the tide against water challenges and build a future where every drop counts.
Enquiries:
Wisane Mavasa
Departmental Spokesperson
Cell: 060 561 8935
E-mail: mavasaw@dws.gov.za
Ministry Spokesperson
Cornelius Monama
Cell: 083 271 0808
E-mail: monamac@dws.gov.za
