The President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) confirmed what residents already know: that Gauteng does not have a shortage of raw water but an infrastructure and governance collapse. Water pipes are leaking, pump stations are failing, and maintenance has been abandoned. Gauteng municipalities are misusing money allocated for water infrastructure for unrelated programmes.
If Gauteng continues to use conditional grants and equitable share allocations, and diverting money meant for water into general budgets it will continue to fail.
The presidential committee will not fix the water crisis created by years of neglect and political interference. Only resources, discipline, and implementation are needed.
In 2017, under a Democratic Alliance (DA) administration, the City of Johannesburg presented a detailed infrastructure assessment with timelines to the budget team. It identified exactly what had to be done. The ANC shelved it. Since then, the government has relied on patchwork repairs without a plan. A later turnaround strategy was commissioned but never implemented. In 2024, a new pump station in Kliprivier was announced to deliver an additional 600 megalitres per day. To date, it has not delivered a single drop, while Rand Water capacity remains underutilised.
There is no silver bullet. The fastest and most effective path is to fix what already exists.
The DA recommends the following action plan to stabilise Gauteng within the next few years:
1. Fix leaks first:
Gauteng loses between 30% and 60% of treated water as Non-Revenue Water through leaks, bursts, and theft.
Priorities:
• Establish a provincial leak repair war room.
• Fix major bulk leaks first, as a small number cause most losses.
2. Repair and maintain infrastructure:
Many pump stations, reservoirs, and treatment works are partially functional, not destroyed.
Quick wins:
• Repair pumps and motors.
• Maintain valves and pressure systems.
• Stop sewage contamination of drinking water.
3. Reduce system pressure immediately:
High pressure causes pipe bursts and accelerates leaks.
Installing pressure-reducing valves:
• Cuts losses by up to 30%.
• Extends pipe lifespan.
• Costs far less than new infrastructure.
4. Fix governance and accountability:
Without reform, infrastructure investment will fail again.
Actions required:
• A portion of the budget needs to be ring fenced so that our water infrastructure can be fixed.
• Professionalise utilities with qualified engineers.
• Enforce performance contracts for managers.
• Introduce public leak reporting with strict deadlines.
5. Target major losses and misuse:
Government facilities, illegal connections, and failed meters waste billions. Smart metering and enforcement in high-loss zones will recover significant water and revenue.
6. Expand supply:
New dams, reuse, and augmentation are necessary despite being slow and costly. To make more clean drinking water available, the province first needs to fix all leaks and maintain the current water infrastructure that is collapsing.
A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would implement the infrastructure master plan to ensure an uninterrupted water supply to its residents. Yes, it can be done through political will, financial discipline and execution.