Deputy President Paul Mashatile,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers,
Directors-General and Officials,
Representatives of SALGA,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to welcome you to this meeting of the National Water Crisis Committee.

Four years ago, when our country faced an unprecedented energy crisis, we took action.

At that time, load shedding was disrupting the lives of all South Africans and causing severe damage to the economy.

I announced the Energy Action Plan and established the National Energy Crisis Committee to oversee a coordinated response to the crisis.

By acting boldly and decisively to improve the performance of Eskom and reform our energy system, we were able to end load shedding and achieve a secure and reliable energy supply.

Now, we are applying the same approach to the water crisis that has been unfolding in many parts of our country.

In the State of the Nation Address in February, I announced that the government’s response to the water crisis would be intensified and would be coordinated through a National Water Crisis Committee, chaired by the President.

I said that a focused response was necessary to address increasingly severe water interruptions across the country and unacceptably poor water quality in many municipalities which has, at times, rendered water unsafe for communities to drink.

Along with broader service delivery failures, inadequate water supply has led to justified frustration among our communities and businesses.

This calls for a government-wide response coordinated by a central body that cuts across government departments and organisations such as SALGA. 

It is a response that brings together stakeholders across the three spheres of government – national, provincial and local – to undertake a common programme of action.

Following extensive consultation and engagement, the National Water Crisis Committee has developed the National Water Action Plan, which we are releasing today.

The plan details the ways in which we will work with municipalities to mobilise resources, expertise and new partnerships to stabilise failing systems, recover critical services and expand access to clean, reliable water and dignified sanitation across the country. 

The National Water Action Plan outlines strategic interventions to address the water crisis over the short, medium and long term.

The plan confronts a basic flaw in how we deliver water and other services. This is that the revenue that municipalities earn from selling water is too often not put back into maintaining pipes and reservoirs or building the new infrastructure we need. 

This has resulted in dilapidated infrastructure, which in turn causes frequent water supply challenges.

Where water is available, it is all too often not of sufficient quality.

In the short term, we will support municipalities facing difficulties by deploying teams of experts to provide intensified technical support.

We are improving the implementation of existing mechanisms to intervene in municipalities that are not meeting their obligations. These mechanisms include section 63 of the Water Services Act and section 139 of the Constitution.

We are reprioritising water infrastructure grants to complete stalled projects, reduce non-revenue water and extend access to unserved communities.

We have said that there is no silver bullet to solve the water challenges in many municipalities. However, the actions that we take now will secure our water supply for years and decades to come.

The National Water Crisis Committee – known as WATERCOM – will work with Natjoints to root out the corruption, theft and vandalism that are crippling our water systems, including the water tanker and construction mafias. 

We cannot allow those who profit from a broken system to hold our communities to ransom. The perpetrators will be brought to book. 

WATERCOM will build on the work of the Water Task Team led by the Deputy President and the Department of Water and Sanitation, COGTA and the National Treasury.

These efforts include the programme to develop community-based boreholes and protected springs for communities in rural areas that currently have no access to water.

They also include the support provided to metros to ring-fence their revenues from the sale of water and electricity under the Metro Trading Services Reform Programme, and the institutional reform of local government through a revised White Paper, which aims to establish a modern and fit-for-purpose local government system.

The National Water Action Plan outlines a strategy to increase investment in infrastructure, including through private sector investment, and to review legal and regulatory mechanisms to improve municipal service delivery.

Taken together, the National Water Action Plan sets out a holistic package of interventions to support municipalities in crisis, expand investment in water infrastructure, reform the legislative and regulatory framework and protect our water systems from criminality.

These challenges cannot be resolved overnight. But business as usual is no longer an option. 

This Plan has benefited from the extensive feedback provided by stakeholders across government.

This includes feedback from the President’s Coordinating Council, which comprises national ministers, Premiers and local government representatives.

In recognition of the significant constitutional mandate of municipalities with respect to the provision of water, the National Water Action Plan was also discussed at an extended meeting of the President’s Coordinating Council, which, for the first time, brought together all mayors and municipal managers.

The people of South Africa are not asking for promises. They are asking for water to come out of their taps and for it to be safe to drink. 

That is a reasonable expectation and it is one that this government is determined to meet.

When we faced the darkest days of load shedding, many doubted that we could turn the tide. 

We did so not through words, but through a clear plan, sustained effort and the willingness of every sphere of government to work together. 

We will bring that same resolve to this challenge.

The National Water Action Plan outlines a clear, practical and focused approach to ensure water security for all South Africans, no matter where they live. 

The plan’s success will depend on all spheres of government and social partners pulling in the same direction and being held to account for delivery. 

We call on all South Africans to be part of finding solutions to this pressing challenge.

Working together, we can ensure that every community, household and business has a reliable, safe and affordable supply of water.

I once again welcome you to this meeting and look forward to productive discussions.

I thank you.