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Water-shedding is GNU’s gift to South Africa – BOSA – POLITICS

Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster says minister has acknowledged that R90bn is needed to clear existing infrastructure backlog

Water-shedding is the GNU’s gift to South Africa

12 November 2025

Yesterday the Minister announced to Johannesburg residents that indefinite cuts to water supply would begin later this week, enforced by Johannesburg Water. If loadshedding was the gift from the previous administration, water shedding is the gift from this administration. Johannesburg now joins scores of communities and towns across South Africa who have faced intermittent water supply.

Honourable Speaker, experts continue to argue that without urgent investment in infrastructure and strict accountability measures for all stakeholders, our water crisis will only worsen.

But, the Minister herself has acknowledged that R90 billion is required just to clear the existing infrastructure backlogs, not to mention funding for future projects to keep up with demand.

Yet, instead of taking accountability, there seems to be a blame game between the national department and the municipalities. In a press briefing in August, the Minister stated that people, and I quote,  “[d]o not seem to appreciate that the provision of water services is the responsibility of municipalities, not the national Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). It would be a priority for us to correct this misunderstanding and to encourage communities and leaders to hold their municipalities accountable.”

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