CAPE TOWN - As parts of the country have been gripped by weeks-long water shortages, President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged R156-billion in public funding for water and sanitation infrastructure.
The funds have been allocated over the next three years.
Ramaphosa unveiled the plan during his State of the Nation Address (SONA).
He said the investment is aimed at ensuring long-term water security and tackling the systemic failures that have left taps running dry.
The crisis has forced many communities to rely on water tankers, bottled water and buckets.
Ramaphosa pointed to poor planning and inadequate maintenance by municipalities as key reasons for the ongoing shortages.
Mega projects in the pipeline
Central to the plan to address the water crisis is the construction and upgrading of critical water projects, including the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and other large-scale developments such as the Ntabelanga Dam, part of the Mzimvubu Water Project in the Eastern Cape, which is already in advanced stages.
Ramaphosa also announced the establishment of a National Water Resource Infrastructure Agency, which will manage the country’s water infrastructure and mobilise funding for projects.
READ | Majodina warns against further delays in Lesotho Highlands Water project
But such projects will come with accountability.
Ramaphosa said government will hold water service providers accountable under the proposed Water Services Amendment Bill.
More money for metros
Ramaphosa also highlighted a R54 billion allocation for metros, designed to reform water, sanitation and electricity services.
He said this will ensure that revenue from water usage is reinvested into fixing pipes, reservoirs and pumping stations.
“Water outages are a symptom of a local government system that is not working. A far-reaching overhaul is now underway to address the root causes of dysfunction in many of our municipalities,” he said.