President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasized the need for a comprehensive national plan to address South Africa’s water and sanitation challenges. Speaking at the National Water and Sanitation Indaba, Ramaphosa stressed that the country’s water crisis requires immediate attention
“What is needed now is course correction. We need to correct what is going wrong,” Ramaphosa said.
The President highlighted the progress made since 1994, with 88.5% of South Africans having access to clean water and 80.7% having access to improved sanitation. However, he acknowledged the challenges facing the sector, including ageing infrastructure, vandalism, and corruption.
Ramaphosa condemned the deliberate sabotage of water infrastructure, stating that it undermines the dignity of communities relying on water tankers. He emphasized the need for improved water infrastructure, enhanced regulation, increased transparency, and support for local government.
“There are people who make it their business to go and cut water lines to create businesses for themselves so they can cut water in trucks and water tanks to our people, now that is the criminality that has now entered the water space and this is something we must collectively talk about.”
The President called for collaboration among all stakeholders, including national and provincial government, water resource management entities, and the private sector. He stressed that resolving the country’s water and sanitation challenges is a matter of human dignity and a basic right.
Ramaphosa’s address comes as experts warn that South Africa is unlikely to meet Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) by 2030, which aims to achieve universal access to safe and affordable drinking water.
The National Water and Sanitation Indaba aims to bring together stakeholders to develop solutions to the country’s water and sanitation challenges.
