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Drowning in corruption — how South Africa's water systems fail citizens and erode trust

11 Dec 2024

Corruption has always been the quiet killer of progress, and what we are witnessing now in South Africa’s water sector is no different.

The most recent Blue, Green and No Drop reports highlight a dismal state of affairs: 46% of drinking water systems fail to meet basic health standards, 67% of wastewater treatment facilities are dysfunctional, and nearly half of all water is lost before it reaches the tap. These are not just numbers; they are a reflection of lives disrupted and rights denied.

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Madjodina’s recent remarks, suggesting that the crisis is solely a municipal problem, are emblematic of a deeper issue — an abdication of responsibility by national leadership. While it is true that municipalities are constitutionally tasked with water services, it’s disingenuous to ignore the ripple effects of national-level corruption and mismanagement.

Most municipalities in South Africa are failing to meet their basic governance and service delivery responsibilities. The Auditor-General’s report highlights that only 34 out of the 257 municipalities in the country have obtained clean audits — which represents a mere 13% of all municipalities in the country. So, leaving water and sanitation in their hands alone is not going to get us out of the problems we are facing right now. In fact it might make it worse. This is a crisis decades in the making, and finger-pointing won’t absolve anyone.

A decade of decline

Under Nomvula Mokonyane’s tenure, the Department of Water and Sanitation became synonymous with scandal. Reports on water quality (Blue Drop and Green Drop) were suppressed, and billions were lost to irregular expenditure. Major infrastructure projects, such as the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and the Giyani Bulk Water Project, stalled amid allegations of kickbacks and tender manipulation.

The Lesotho Highlands Water Project II should have come online by 2023 but has now been delayed until 2029/30. This affects the amount of water that we can abstract from the Vaal River system, and could have mitigated the demand from the growing population in Gauteng.

The Giyani project was intended to transfer water from Nandoni Dam to 55 communities. The bulk water project started in 2014 and was meant to be completed by 2017. But it has been marred by controversy and failure, with a budget that has ballooned from R2-billion to about R4-billion. As reported by GroundUp, only nine of 55 villages get water from the project as of September 2024.

These delays have left communities parched and vulnerable. Across the country, people are forced to rely on unsafe water sources, a direct violation of their constitutional right to clean water.

In Hammanskraal, residents are still reeling from a cholera outbreak linked to corruption in a wastewater treatment plant upgrade. In Makanda, political interference and “golden handshakes” for corrupt officials have left infrastructure in a shambles.

Corruption’s human cost

According to a 2020 Corruption Watch and the Water Integrity Network report, corruption is prevalent at all levels of government and business and has severely affected the availability and quality of water.

Corruption in the water sector isn’t just about financial loss — it’s about human lives. When funds meant for maintenance and upgrades are siphoned off, communities suffer.

More than 26% of all public schools and 45% of clinics do not have access to water. This means that young girls miss school when they are menstruating, water is now added to the “stationery” list for each pupil, families fall ill from contaminated sources, and entire communities are trapped in cycles of poverty.

The South African Human Rights Commission has repeatedly warned that the failure to provide safe, accessible water is a human rights violation. Yet, the systemic rot continues. Corruption not only deprives people of water but also erodes trust in public institutions, deepens inequality, and undermines democracy.

Corruption is a two-way street

We often focus solely on government corruption, overlooking the significant role the private sector plays. It’s crucial to hold businesses accountable for perpetuating the system.

A quote from the Corruption Watch and the Water Integrity Network report is very telling: The CEO of one small company explained how he worked the system — “You must find an individual in the Department of Mineral Resources... offer money… pop up money all the way... because mining rights can take two years... although it’s better now. You rely on that individual to know what to expect. Big companies have done this before, so they know.”

We must be as vociferous against the private sector as we are with the government. It is necessary to watch both ends of the corruption line. With water becoming the new gold, our vigilance must increase. Public-private partnerships in water infrastructure, while designed to harness private investment and expertise, can also fuel corruption.

What needs to change

It’s easy to feel despondent, as it is not easy to turn the tide on corruption — but it can be done.

Combating corruption requires a multifaceted approach that includes transparency, accountability, and active citizen engagement. Transparency is crucial; making information about government and private sector activities publicly accessible allows for greater scrutiny and reduces opportunities for corrupt practices. We must keep demanding that information on water projects, budgets, and expenditures be publicly available to increase transparency and allow for public scrutiny.

Read more: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/water-shortage/#water-tips

Strengthening oversight bodies and enforcing anti-corruption laws are essential steps to ensure that those who engage in corrupt activities are held accountable. We need to start seeing all corrupt bodies and people facing jail terms. We have good policies and laws, but need courage and strength to enforce them.

We also need to rethink how we engage communities and civil society. Civil society involvement can shine a light on dark corners where corruption thrives. For example, citizen science activism has been very important to hold polluters accountable across South Africa, from KwaZulu-Natal to the Eastern Cape to Mpumalanga — community members are testing water and using the results to hold people accountable.

Participatory governance, where citizens have a say in how resources are managed, can help bridge the trust gap. When people see that their voices matter, they become watchdogs of the system.

A call to action

Water is life. In a country as water-scarce as South Africa, corruption in this sector is more than just theft — it’s a crime against humanity. The time for action is now. Government, civil society, businesses and communities must come together to root out corruption, protect resources, and ensure that every South African has access to clean, safe water.

This isn’t just about fixing pipes and plants; it’s about restoring dignity and justice. Let’s not allow cholera outbreaks or water shortages to be just another headline. Let’s make this the moment we say “Enough!”

If corruption is a disease, transparency is the cure. South Africa’s future depends on how seriously we treat it. DM

This piece forms part of a set of civil society reflections and activations during Anti-Corruption Week marked from 3-10 December 2024.

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