South Africa will spend 156 billion rand (about $9.5 billion) on water and sanitation infrastructure over the next three years as the government seeks to address persistent shortages and deteriorating services, President Cyril Ramaphosa has said.

The announcement comes amid growing frustration from households and businesses affected by persistent water shortages, deteriorating infrastructure, and poor municipal service delivery across several parts of the country.

“Over the next three years, the government has allocated R156 billion to water and sanitation infrastructure as part of its broader public infrastructure investment program," Ramaphosa said in his weekly newsletter on Monday.

A key component of the plan is the newly launched National Water Access Acceleration Programme, which will focus on delivering water through decentralized supply schemes such as boreholes, groundwater development projects and rainwater harvesting systems.

The program was officially launched in Hammanskraal, Gauteng, a community that has endured years of water supply challenges and where a cholera outbreak claimed lives in 2023.

While highlighting progress made since the advent of democracy in expanding access to water, Ramaphosa acknowledged that government has fallen short in maintaining infrastructure and ensuring reliable services in many municipalities.

“We must acknowledge that in too many municipalities, government has not succeeded with the maintenance of infrastructure, to manage water services properly and to respond with sufficient urgency,” he said.

He noted that some communities continue to face severe water shortages, deteriorating water quality and collapsing infrastructure, despite constitutional guarantees of access to water.

The government established the National Water Crisis Committee earlier this year to coordinate investment, institutional reforms and efforts to improve municipal services and tackle corruption.

Ramaphosa also announced that legislative reforms are underway, including the Water Services Amendment Bill, which is expected to strengthen enforcement measures and introduce greater accountability for municipal officials.

“Public hearings will soon begin on the Water Services Amendment Bill, which will strengthen enforcement and enable municipal managers who fail to manage water infrastructure to be held personally liable,” he said.

“Where municipalities or officials fail to comply with environmental and water-services legislation, government will use the enforcement mechanisms available to it, including directives, criminal proceedings and, where the law permits, personal liability,” he added.

Ramaphosa described water security as one of the government's most urgent priorities, saying communities that continue to endure water shortages are justified in demanding action.

“Households and businesses experiencing shortages and outages have had enough, and underserved communities across the country still waiting for taps to be installed 32 years into democracy are justifiably tired of waiting,” he said.

Drawing parallels with efforts to reduce load shedding, Ramaphosa said coordinated action, emergency interventions and long-term structural reforms would be required to resolve the water crisis.

First published by IOL