JOHANNESBURG - Poor municipal management, weak governance, and inadequate infrastructure investment are exacerbating South Africa's water crisis.
Futuregrowth investment analyst Taariq Mohamed says the problem is not necessarily a lack of funding, but how available funds are spent and managed.
READ: eThekwini water woes: Demand could outstrip supply by 2027
Municipalities currently owe water boards more than R25-billion.
Mohamed says poor financial management and insufficient infrastructure investment are hampering municipalities’ ability to maintain and repair water systems, worsening shortages.
READ: 'We are struggling with population expansion' - Joburg Water
He says South Africa’s water availability has also come under pressure from lower average rainfall and population growth, which has increased by about 37% over the past two decades.
While South Africa is naturally water-scarce, Mohamed argues that poor municipal management is compounding the problem.