From crisis to hope: how SA communities are solving water shortages

Despite challenges, some communities who battled severe water supply issues say that there is a glimmer of hope, improvements and systems in place to alleviate the severity of the issue.

Most provinces are experiencing a water crisis due to a combination of factors, including unmaintained infrastructure, aging pipes causing leaks, high demand for water, and illegal water connections. 

In KwaZulu-Natal, residents in almost all municipalities suffered inconsistent water supply, resulting in protest action by residents and ratepayers, who were aggrieved at being made to pay for the water they weren’t supplied with.

In 2023, a report by the SA Human Rights Commission found that a number of municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal violated people’s rights in terms of providing clean drinking water.

“The commission finds that in KwaZulu-Natal, municipalities in general and water service authorities in particular have violated residents’ rights to access clean drinking water as provided for in national, constitutional, and statutory provisions.

“This violation of rights is aggravated by the pervasive sense of neglect, disregard, and, in some instances, contempt for people’s suffering and their attempts to engage their municipality through officials and elected representatives,” read the report.

The commission also found that the challenges outlined by municipalities and water service authorities reflected poor planning and management of resources, particularly in relation to non-revenue water and maintenance of infrastructure, a reluctance to deal with corruption and non-performance, and an inability to plan for future needs.

The report took into consideration damages sustained during the civil unrest in July 2021, the 2022 floods, and the 2023 floods, where infrastructure, homes, and the lives of thousands were destroyed. Hundreds of people lost their lives. 

At that time, Commissioner Philile Ntuli said the commission received 600 complaints and noted that the need for water far exceeded supply. 

The Verulam community under the eThekwini Metro experienced severe water challenges, where some parts of the area were without water for nearly 100 days. 

In 2024, they approached the United Nations and the country’s deputy president, Paul Mashatile, citing the violation of their human rights.

Roshan Lil-Ruthan, spokesperson for the Verulam Water Crisis Committee (VWCC), said the water supply crisis has exposed the gap between the constitutional right to clean water and the reality faced by many residents. 

He said the water supply and infrastructure in Verulam and the surrounding areas have been under immense strain due to aging systems and growing demand. He added that through persistent efforts, “significant milestones” have been achieved.

“One of our key successes has been securing the connection of water from the Hazelmere Water Treatment Works to the Grange Reservoir and then to the Mount View Reservoir. This move has provided much-needed supplementation to the Northern Aqueduct system, which has been severely challenged in meeting demand from Durban Heights.  

“Furthermore, we are closely monitoring a critical upgrade project for the Hazelmere Water Treatment Works itself. This upgrade, which we strongly advocated for, will expand its capacity and ensure a greater water supply for the community in the near future. These advancements reflect progress, and while challenges remain, we are optimistic about the road ahead,” Lil-Ruthan said.

He added that while water shortages continue to impact residents and local businesses, he was encouraged by the steps taken to alleviate these hardships.

On the Special Investigating Unit’s probe, initiated under Proclamation 248 by President Cyril Ramaphosa, he said it was an important step in addressing the systemic issues plaguing water supply. 

In the Western Cape, Knysna, which falls under the Garden Route District Municipality, faces water challenges due to aging infrastructure, inadequate maintenance, population growth, and increased demand, resulting in frequent shortages, burst pipes, leaks, and inconsistent pressure.

Rodney Nay, chairperson of Knysna Water and Sanitation Community Forum, said staff shortages, lack of maintenance, and lack of updated equipment are contributing factors to the water supply challenges.

“Knysna has a lot of smaller towns linked to it. A lot of them have their own independent supply, and because they don’t have a major dam, there is spillage. There is no storage for three months or six months or even 30 days. Everything relies on the flow of water from the rivers, which is dependent on rain,” Nay said.

He said one of the towns has a small dam, which has a capacity of 10 days when it’s full. He mentioned that several boreholes supplement the supply of water. 

“Over the last few years, there has been a massive migration to the Knysna area from all sorts of places. This means that we have more people than we have the capacity to provide water for. The infrastructure is inadequate; it's old and needs to be upgraded. Also, the shortage of funds that the country is having, there is never enough money to plan and implement water services.”

He said many people are flocking into Knysna informal settlements, resulting in few people paying rates.

“As far as I know, our Constitution says that we have the right to access water, rights to sanitation, and dignity. It’s not always possible because we don’t have enough water. We do have a system in informal areas where we provide clean tap water to try and help supply water. Also, there are leakages and breakages, and in high lying areas in Knysna where the water pressure is not always adequate, but we do try to provide water,” Nay said.

He said some key senior posts have been filled, which gives hope of stability, which will in turn improve service delivery.

On the formation of the forum, he said a few months ago, the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, and the deputy minister visited Knysna and were shocked at what they found. Knysna was in a state of disrepair. The minister then decided that she would form this community forum. This is not only in Knysna, but she said she would do it all over the country. 

The forum is led by Nay, a retired civil engineer, and Ludwe Qoshe, an activist.

At the forum, he said they have given themselves at least two years to make sure that they provide a surety of water supply for everybody living in Knysna and empower the communities so that they can help themselves.

In Gauteng, frequent and widespread water outages have been experienced, with many suburbs and communities going for days or weeks with little or no water on a regular basis.

Majodina labelled it a “self-inflicted” crisis, laying the blame on the doorstep of municipalities, which had not fixed leaking pipes, were not maintaining aging infrastructure or tackled illegal connections.

In Hammanskraal, families of cholera victims want compensation due to the loss of breadwinners and income. Some have since joined a class action lawsuit.

Tshepo Mahlangu, president of LASCA Civic Organisation, said the current water supply in Gauteng is unstable, and the water infrastructure is deteriorating. 

He said leakages are one main reason for the failure to supply water. Technical losses are mainly caused by ailing infrastructure, lack of accountability, corruption, and mushrooming informal settlements.

“The government is not doing enough to ensure there is clean, drinkable water for the residents. For example, Hammanskraal/Ekangala and Mamelodi are typical examples of human rights violations. We won't stop our efforts of pressuring them to resolve these man-made water challenges,” Mahlangu said.

He urged the government to prioritise infrastructure spending.

“The message to the government is clear. Water is life, and failing to supply the residents with clean, drinkable water is a direct violation of human rights. Their act of always politicising this issue amounts to genocide,” Mahlangu said.

gcwalisile.khanyile@inl.co.za