Deputy President Paul Mashatile has sent a clear and uncompromising message in Parliament underscoring the government’s intensified focus on consequence management in the water sector to combat corruption and inefficiency.

“We are stepping up consequence management. Water boards, municipal managers, and service providers will be held accountable—no exceptions,” Mashatile stated, addressing concerns over poor performance, criminal interference, and service delivery failures.

The deputy president was responding to questions in the National Assembly in Cape Town on Thursday.

He acknowledged that many of the country’s water authorities were managed at the municipal level, with oversight from the Department of Water and Sanitation.

“Their performance is under scrutiny. We cannot afford weak leadership in these critical institutions. When individuals don’t deliver, action must follow—because failure costs lives and fuels corruption,” he said.

However, Mashatile spotlighted the growing threat posed by “water mafias”—organised criminal networks that sabotage public infrastructure to profit from tanker contracts.

“They have embedded themselves within city systems, disrupting services so that municipalities are forced to rely on outsourced water supply. What began as a temporary solution for emergencies has become a captured industry,” he said.

Mashatile affirmed that these networks are being targeted, “We are actively dismantling their influence. Protecting our cities from this kind of corruption is a top priority.”

He also called for smarter, more transparent communication with residents. Drawing a parallel with Eskom’s repair notifications, he stressed that municipalities must keep citizens informed.

“When there are disruptions, communities must be notified in advance. It’s basic governance. It builds public trust, and it shuts down room for manipulation.”

Mashatile confirmed that a high-level task team, working with the Minister of Water and Sanitation, is developing stricter accountability measures and performance standards for all water institutions.

Restoring order in the water sector is not just about fixing leaks—it’s about fixing the system, he said.

“That means rooting out corruption, enforcing discipline, and ensuring every official understands: if you fail the people, you face the consequences,” he said.

Meanwhile, Water and Sanitation Minister, Pemmy Majodina together with the Free State government, opened the 38-kilometre tunnel, Ash River that runs from Lesotho to South Africa. 

This strategic infrastructure project is designed to achieve two primary objectives: supplying water to South Africa’s Gauteng region — the country’s economic hub — and generating hydroelectric power to meet Lesotho’s domestic energy needs.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has also announced plans to address the water challenges in the country.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

IOL Politics

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