How mismanagement is depriving South Africans of clean drinking water

CORRUPTION and negligence have robbed billions of rand intended for clean drinking water, leaving millions of South Africans without reliable access.

- MANYANE MANYANE

This is according to the latest water justice report, which exposed the daily realities of those forced to queue or pay high prices for water.

The report, titled State Capture and Beyond: Water Justice, is a collaboration between Brot für die Welt (Bread for the World [BfdW]), the Human Rights Media Trust (HRMT), and the Legal Resources Centre (LRC), with funding from the EU.

The purpose of this project is to address corruption in South Africa based on the recommendations from the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture.

The report stated that with a growing population, it is important for the government to carefully manage the storage, treatment, and distribution of water to avoid waste, but poor management and the influence of corruption, as identified by the commission of inquiry.

This, according to the report, has left the country with decaying water delivery systems.

"Infrastructure is failing because of a lack of maintenance, suspect tender practices, poor water quality and delivery, and inadequate wastewater treatment," stated the report, adding that this leaves sections of the country, especially those who are poorest, with limited access to sufficient, safe, and affordable potable water.