Why 107 Municipalities Are Struggling with Water
South Africa’s water minister, Pemmy Majodina, says that 107 out of the country’s 144 municipalities are dealing with serious or repeated water‑supply problems. These issues stem from old, crumbling pipes and treatment plants that can’t keep up with demand.
How the Government Measures the Problem
The minister’s answer came in response to a question from MK Party MP Siyabonga Mkhize. She explained that the Department of Water and Sanitation relies on its 2026 Blue Drop, No Drop and Green Drop reports. Those reports grade how well each municipality delivers water, manages wastewater and protects the environment. The 2026 scores showed that 107 water‑service authorities are in a poor or critical condition in at least one of those areas.
Direct Help in Three Places
Under Section 63 of the Water Services Act, the department can step in directly when a municipality needs urgent assistance. So far, three areas have received this kind of support:
- Emfuleni Local Municipality (Gauteng) – the Section 63 work there has just finished.
- uMkhanyakude District Municipality (KwaZulu‑Natal) – assistance is underway.
- uThukela District Municipality (KwaZulu‑Natal) – still in the early planning stage.
These interventions are happening alongside Section 139 administration measures taken by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, which place the troubled municipalities under temporary government control.
Support Spreading to Other Towns
Beyond the three direct interventions, the National Water Action Plan is guiding help in other priority spots:
- Maluti‑a‑Phofung Local Municipality (Free State) – crews are fixing bulk‑water pipelines and improving day‑to‑day operations with the help of external agents.
- Matjhabeng Local Municipality (Free State) – work focuses on refurbishing infrastructure and stabilizing the supply system.
- Metro Trading Services reforms – Johannesburg and eThekwini are getting stronger governance, better financial management, and clearer separation of water and sanitation finances to boost long‑term sustainability.
The R400 Billion Figure Explained
Majodina stressed that the R400 billion number is **not** a ready‑to‑spend budget. It is an estimate of how much money would be needed to repair and upgrade the ageing water infrastructure across those 107 struggling municipalities. The National Water Action Plan itself does not hand out cash; instead, it tries to make existing funding work better and attract extra money from the public, private and commercial sectors.
For context, the department has transferred about R65 billion to municipalities over the last five years. In the current financial year, R13.7 billion is set aside for infrastructure grants, with roughly 80 % of that aimed at the worst‑performing 107 authorities.
Keeping the Money Safe from Corruption
To protect the funds, the department has tightened controls:
- Conditional grant rules that tie money to specific milestones.
- Regular project monitoring and financial reporting.
- Audit requirements and consequences for misuse.
- Oversight from the Auditor‑General, National Treasury and the Department of Cooperative Governance.
- A new technical committee under the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (Natjoints) focusing on safety and security, building on the Water Sector Anti‑Corruption Forum launched by the minister and the Special Investigating Unit.
When Will Water Flow Again?
Majodina said she cannot give a single date for when every community will have reliable water. The timeline varies because each municipality faces different challenges—pipe condition, funding availability, technical readiness and local governance all play a role. Some projects are already moving forward, but many areas still need long‑term institutional reforms to reverse the sector‑wide decline. The National Water Action Plan outlines short‑, medium‑ and long‑term steps, with the goal of restoring service as quickly as practical.
What’s Next?
While the R400 billion figure highlights the scale of the challenge, the focus now is on using existing funds more efficiently, attracting new investment, and strengthening oversight to prevent waste. Continued direct support in the most troubled municipalities, combined with broader reforms in metros and district areas, aims to turn the tide on South Africa’s water crisis—one pipe, one town and one community at a time.
