Mpumalanga is facing a severe water crisis due to ageing infrastructure and vandalism. This has sparked illegal water connections.

The provincial government, municipalities, water boards, and engineers held a Water and Sanitation Indaba in Secunda to seek solutions to the crisis.

Municipalities are reported to owe water boards over R20 billion. Peter Thompson from the Umngeni Water Services says the non-payment is threatening the board’s financial stability.

“If we don’t assist them and remove these risks, we are going to liquidate. We’ve seen some water boards being liquidated in the country, some very close. So our primary aim is to assist municipalities with non-revenue water,” says Thompson.

He says many of them are not collecting revenue primarily and don’t even know the population, which makes them get that grant.

“In many cases, there are people who are prepared to pay, but they say they say they haven’t been able to pay for over a year, even if they want to,” adds Thompson.

WATCH | Residents in over 90 villages under the Bushbuckridge and Mbombela municipalities have urged the Mpumalanga government to tighten security at water plants after criminals vandalised the Hoxani Water Treatment Plant, which left the villages without water. pic.twitter.com/9Ec55WdbGu

— SABC News (@SABCNews) October 9, 2025

VIDEO | Calls for tighter security at water reservoirs in Mpumalanga