Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni has moved to assure that government is at work to resolve the water crisis currently experienced in parts of the country.
Ntshavheni was speaking during the Debate of the State of the Nation Address (SONA) held in Cape Town on Tuesday afternoon.
The water challenges reached a crescendo last week when residents in Johannesburg protested, with some maintaining to have been without water for at least three weeks.
“The work has already commenced. The OV [Operation Vulindlela] team and the Department of Water and Sanitation have started with the assessments towards a water action plan that should be ready by mid-March 2026, and a call for technical capacity as part of mobilising resources and expertise to support municipalities in crisis is in the works.
“The current draft Water Action Plan is focused on immediate crisis, propelling reforms in the water sector and unlocking investments in the municipal infrastructure,” Minister Ntshavheni assured.
During the SONA last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the establishment of the National Water Crisis Committee to resolve the challenges faced by citizens in a similar vein to the success of the National Energy Crisis Committee.
“This structure will bring together all existing efforts into a single coordinating body. It will deploy technical experts and resources from the national government to municipalities facing water challenges. It will ensure that action is taken swiftly and effectively to address the problem.
“To address the challenges effectively, we will not hesitate to use the powers enshrined in the Constitution and in the Water Services Act to intervene in municipalities where necessary.
“We will hold to account those who neglect their responsibility to supply water to our people,” President Ramaphosa said at the time. – SAnews.gov.za
