Municipalities need support to tackle water crisis – BLSA’s Mavuso

Cape Town – Accountability for the water crisis in South Africa extends far beyond municipalities to provincial and national government entities, who should be monitoring and overseeing water infrastructure, says Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso.

In her monthly newsletter, Mavuso writes: “While local government provides the services, it is the responsibility of provincial and national government to monitor and oversee their provision of water. They must support and strengthen the capacity of municipalities to manage their affairs and deliver. When a municipality is incapable, the province can assume the responsibility of delivering water to an area.”

Referencing the Blue Drop Audit Report, she highlights the widespread contamination of drinkable water, with nearly half of the country’s water sources posing acute health risks due to bacteria and pathogens.

The Blue Drop Audit report by the Department of Water and Sanitation indicates that only 26 of the more than 900 water supply systems in South Africa meet high-quality standards.

Mavuso says many private businesses are sending their own staff to help plug skills gaps in maintenance and repairs.

BLSA partnered with USAID and the National Business Initiative’s TAMDEV programme in 2022 to support overstretched municipalities in addressing water challenges.