Have you lost the fight to fix infrastructure and provide clean water to the people in line with your constitutional mandate?
Not at all, why?
Because according to your own drop reports 47% of drinking water systems are in a critical state.
I would agree with you if there was nothing that was being done. I’m from a meeting with Joburg Water and Rand Water over reports that water tankers were roaring into parts of Johannesburg that had no water. But it had nothing to do with water shortages, it had to do with energy supply.
What about the water leaks?
Our communications need to say how much is Johannesburg investing in water infrastructure, how much is eThekwini. Because they’re investing.
So why is the situation getting worse?
Today Johannesburg was reporting to us how the system has picked up as a result of consistency in power supply.
It’s losing 40% of its water through leaks, though?
It’s 37% the last time I checked.
EThekwini is losing 46% through leaks.
I’m saying there is investment, and that will have an impact in reversing the extent of losses.
Why in spite of this investment is the situation getting worse?
The city of Johannesburg is shortchanging Joburg Water by not investing all the money collected from water back to water so that we can fix the infrastructure much quicker. That is the problem we are trying to fix.
How can you say you’re not losing the fight to provide water if you can’t get municipalities to comply?
There are no short cuts. You need to fix your infrastructure, you need to bring in skilled people to municipalities. We have in the past few years not been doing well in managing water in South Africa.
Why has it taken your department so long to intervene?
I was appointed in August 2021 and immediately saw a lot of things that were wrong.
Didn’t you have the power to intervene?
I have now put an amendment to the legislation which will give me full power.
The Water Services Amendment Bill?
Yes. It needed to be amended long ago so that as minister of water & sanitation you take full accountability.
There are no short cuts. You need to fix your infrastructure, you need to bring in skilled people to municipalities
How is the amendment going to force municipalities to provide clean tap water?
By giving the minister unfettered powers to intervene.
You mean to issue directives?
Not just to issue directives, to get involved. To say, I am taking over water here, I am going to be running water services myself. We’ll issue licences only to providers like Joburg Water.
Even if it clearly can’t do the job?
They’re being shortchanged by the municipality in Johannesburg using all the money collected by Joburg Water for other things, not investing it in efficient water supply. Money for water must be ring-fenced.
How are you going to deal with capacity constraints?
If you bring in entities like Joburg Water they are able to bring in the private sector. I agree there is no capacity and you can’t build it, you just need to bring it as soon as possible.
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