Water experts have called on the Department of Water and Sanitation to urgently implement better water supply and collection management systems to avoid the possibility of a day zero water crisis occurring.
The warning was issued at the virtual two-day water protection summit.
It’s estimated that South Africa will reach a 17% water deficit by 2030.
Maladministration, corruption and lack of clean accessible water, have led to the department admitting its failure to provide water to those who need it most.
Ministerial advisor to the minister of Water and Sanitation, Jurgen Kogl says, “The establishment of a 50-year water security framework and over and above that do that in such a way that the constitutional right of access to water by South Africans around the country is guaranteed. Unfortunately and shamefully this is not yet the case.”
Meanwhile, the Water Research Commission says ageing infrastructure, misappropriation of funds and lack of investment in new systems have led to the dire water situation in the country.
Water Research Commission CEO Dhesigen Naidoo says, “In fact when we talk about the water team in the South African environment, 9 out of 10 times they are spoken about negatively. We refuse to acknowledge that this is one of the core asset classes we have in this country.”
