AMID escalating concerns over the nagging water crisis affecting various provinces including KwaZulu-Natal, alarming findings have emerged from recent inquiry reports.
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) briefed the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation on Tuesday about some of the water-related inquiry reports it has produced in recent years.
SAHRC Commissioner Henk Boshoff said the commission produced the following inquiry reports:
KwaZulu-Natal water inquiry
Access to water and the efficacy of water service authorities
Inquiry into the state of service delivery within municipalities in Mpumalanga
SAHRC inquiry into the state of service delivery at local government in the Free State province
Boshoff stated that key systematic water issues gleaned from the inquiry reports were inadequate skills and capacity in water units within water services authorities, and high vacancy rates in technical water units.
Other issues include infrastructure decay and collapse, neglect or underinvestment of municipal water and wastewater infrastructure, and the Water System Administrators (WSAs) not setting aside or spending the 8% norm set by the National Treasury for operations and maintenance of infrastructure.
Boshoff said the high water losses were above the acceptable norms as well as non-compliance with statutory requirements, adding that some WSAs fail to maintain and keep updated Water Services Development Plans and did not seem to have updated indigent registers.
He said some WSAs do not comply with the prescribed norms and standards as issued in terms of the Water Act and compulsory standards.
The SAHRC found that there were high levels of indebtedness of WSAs to water boards, threatening the sustainability and financial viability of water boards.
Boshoff said that most WSAs struggle with the collection of revenue due to various factors such as unauthorised water connections, water meter bypasses, billing inaccuracies, non-payment for water services due to households being indigent, and inability to afford the payment of services.
The SAHRC found vandalism and sabotage of water infrastructure to the purpose of receiving overtime payouts and profiteering through water tankers.
“The ineffectiveness of the support and oversight provided by provincial and national governments. Consequence management for authorities that underspend or misuse grants appears weak and lacking. There is manipulation, politicisation, and commercialisation of the tanker system. There are allegations of the emergence of a water mafia,” Boshoff said.
In terms of the KZN and Limpopo water inquiry report, the SAHRC recommended an enhanced approach to monitoring and intervention of WSAs by the Department of Water Services and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA).
The SAHRC recommended the following:
Strengthening of inter-governmental relations and the heightened role of the Office of the Premier
Adoption of a programme on the development of WSDPs and incentivisation of best performers
Capacitation of technical units
Compliance with norms and standards, such as compulsory national standards and measures to conserve water (Limpopo Water Inquiry Report, Mpumalanga Service Delivery Inquiry Report, and Free State Delivery Inquiry Report)
Move towards insourcing as opposed to outstanding water tankers in KZN.
Tackle emerging water tanker corruption and infrastructure vandalism and theft in KZN, Mpumalanga and Free State.
Deal with poor state infrastructure by complying with the recommended 8% budgeting provision for operations and maintenance of infrastructure.
Address the ballooning debt due to water boards (KZN Water Inquiry Report, Mpumalanga Service Delivery Inquiry Report, and Free Service Delivery Inquiry Report)
Tackle non-revenue water and deal with high water losses in KZN, Mpumalanga and Free State.
Boshoff said the SAHRC will continue to monitor the implementation of its recommendations in the various inquiry reports.
“The monitoring has included engagements with water authorities and relevant stakeholders. The commission has noted a slow pace of implementation of the recommendations in the various inquiry reports.”
Meanwhile, uMngeni-uThukela Water, the body responsible for water in eThekwini and other regions, is expected to present its annual financial report tomorrow (Thursday) in Durban.
DAILY NEWS