President Cyril Ramaphosa has earmarked addressing South Africa’s water crisis as a top priority for government in 2025, likening the looming crisis to the crippling power shortages that brought the country’s economy to its knees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Delivering the annual January 8 statement, a keynote address outlining the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party’s agenda for the year, Ramaphosa stressed the urgency of addressing the issue before it spirals out of control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, Ramaphosa acknowledged the severe water challenges facing various parts of the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLoad shedding has been supplanted by the crisis of water security, which poses a similar if not greater threat to the quality of life and economic prospects of all South Africans<\/strong>,” said Ramaphosa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Indeed, water is life and sanitation is dignity,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taps across the country often run dry thanks to, but not limited to, inadequate investment in infrastructure, corruption, the proliferation of illegal connections, water scarcity, climate change, and other inefficiencies in the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Coronation\u2019s July 2024 Correspondent<\/a>, economist Marie Antelme and ESG analyst Leila Joseph say that<\/a> \u201cwater security is arguably one of the most critical risks to South Africa\u2019s social, economic, and political long-term future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recent reports by the Department of Water and Sanitation \u2014 including the Green<\/a>, Blue<\/a>, and No Drop<\/a> Reports \u2013 paint a concerning image of the current state of the provision of the essential resource, showing that at a countrywide average:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Municipal performance in providing good-quality drinking water across South Africa has deteriorated over the past five years, from 93 \u201cgood\u201d water supply systems in 2021 to 59 in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, according to the information provided by the minister, the performance of municipal water supply systems in the country over the past four years has been:<\/p>\n\n\n\n To add insult to injury, South Africa’s water boards are owed R23.4 billion by municipalities, more than 70% of which is four months overdue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The debt hampers their ability to maintain and upgrade ageing infrastructure at a time when municipalities, including the country’s economic hub Johannesburg, are facing severe shortages and cuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Year<\/strong><\/td> Bad<\/strong><\/td> Poor<\/strong><\/td> Good<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> 2020<\/strong><\/td> 544<\/td> 39<\/td> 70<\/td><\/tr> 2021<\/strong><\/td> 502<\/td> 43<\/td> 93<\/td><\/tr> 2022<\/strong><\/td> 529<\/td> 53<\/td> 85<\/td><\/tr> 2023<\/strong><\/td> 535<\/td> 62<\/td> 78<\/td><\/tr> 2024<\/strong><\/td> 491<\/td> 57<\/td> 59<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n