Ramaphosa vows to tackle water-shedding

The ANC has made tackling the looming water crisis in parts of the country one of its top priorities for 2025.

Delivering the annual January 8 statement in Khayelitsha, Cape Town yesterday, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa said his party had decided the government must nip the water crisis in the bud before it gets out of control.

Several areas of the country are experiencing regular water outages due to leaks and ageing infrastructure, including in Gauteng, where some municipalities have implemented water restrictions.

The ANC uses the January 8 statement, which this year marks its 113th anniversary, to give clear directives on what the government should focus on for the year.

Ramaphosa said the government would draw lessons from how it achieved almost 300 days without load-shedding, and use these to deal with the water crisis

“We have decided to elevate water security as a priority task for 2025. We are confident that drawing on the lessons learnt from dealing successfully with the seemingly intractable challenge of load-shedding, we will be able to deal with this crisis.”

He said the government had made strides in stopping load-shedding, however, that crisis had now been superseded by the water crisis.

“Load-shedding has been supplanted by the crisis of water security, which poses a similar if not greater threat to the quality of life and economic prospects of all South Africans. Indeed, water is life and sanitation is dignity,” said Ramaphosa.

He detailed steps the ANC’s national executive committee (NEC) had directed government to follow in tackling the water challenges this year.

These include water boards ensuring there is water security in the country, and the upgrading of old infrastructure.

All spheres of government must strengthen early-warning systems for extreme weather events, improve speedy access to disaster relief, and build climate-resilience in human settlements and infrastructure

—  President Cyril Ramaphosa

“Upgrade ageing municipal water infrastructure — that contributes to significant water losses due to leaks — by ring-fencing water revenue for critical maintenance,” said Ramaphosa.

“Implement a water and local financing framework that attracts private sector participation in the refurbishment of water infrastructure, without relinquishing municipal ownership of water assets.”

He said more attention should be paid to sabotage, theft and corruption by so-called water tanker mafias, while authorities needed to deal with illegal water connections.

Plans to recognise informal settlements should be accelerated to ensure poor residents had safe and legal access to water and electricity, which would also benefit those who ought to be receiving free basic services through the indigents list.

“In the face of the high cost of living and increasing electricity tariffs, consideration needs to be [given] to the development of a comprehensive indigent register across all municipalities, to ensure all deserving households are cushioned,” he said.

“In co-operation with the South African Weather Service, all spheres of government must strengthen early-warning systems for extreme weather events; improve speedy access to disaster relief; and build climate-resilience in human settlements and infrastructure.”