‘We Don’t Have That Money’, Minister Pemmy Majodina on South Africa’s R400 Billion Water Crisis
Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has warned that South Africa’s water infrastructure is in a dire state, with the country facing a repair bill of hundreds of billions of rands that the government cannot afford.
Speaking during a media briefing in Johannesburg this week, Majodina highlighted that high water demand, particularly in the economic hub of Gauteng, is pushing an already strained system to its limit.
“In terms of water infrastructure at a local government sphere, we need nothing less than R400 billion to fix the water infrastructure, and surely we don’t have that amount in the fiscals,” Majodina said.
The minister’s comments come amid prolonged water outages affecting parts of Johannesburg and Tshwane.
According to Department of Water and Sanitation Director-General Sean Phillips, the situation is worse than previously estimated.
He noted that the widely cited R400 billion figure covers only the 105 worst-performing municipalities and excludes major metros, suggesting the true national backlog could be double that amount.
A primary issue is “non-revenue water” water that is pumped but never reaches paying customers. Phillips revealed that municipalities lose nearly half of their water, with approximately 32% lost to physical leaks. This is compounded by weak billing systems and a lack of maintenance.
In response, Majodina is looking beyond government coffers for solutions. She has issued a direct appeal to the private sector, particularly mining houses, to step in.
“Those who are the biggest consumers of water, come and assist the government,” she urged.
She cited a successful 50/50 partnership with Glencore in the North West to build a 37-kilometre pipeline as a model to replicate.
While short-term fixes are underway including the construction of new reservoirs and the implementation of “soft water restrictions” to prevent the system from collapsing, Majodina warned that without a drastic reduction in consumption and massive investment, the strain on the country’s infrastructure will only intensify.