Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina’s 2026 Budget Vote is one of the “clearest and most significant” policy interventions undertaken to confront South Africa’s deepening water and sanitation crisis.

This is the view of Rand Water, Association of Water and Sanitation Institutions in South Africa (Awsisa) and National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency chairperson Ramateu Monyokolo, as outlined in a statement released on Tuesday.

“At a time when many communities continue to endure unreliable water supply, sewage spills, collapsing municipal infrastructure and growing public frustration, the Minister’s address demonstrated a willingness by government to confront uncomfortable truths while outlining a practical pathway towards recovery and renewal,” he said.

“For Awsisa, the speech is significant not only because of the scale of infrastructure commitments announced, but because it signals an emerging governance shift within the water sector – one that recognises that sustainable water security depends not merely on engineering solutions, but on capable institutions, accountability, professional management and collaborative leadership across all spheres of society.”

While much progress on providing access has been made since 1994, and there are encouraging signs that a more coherent national response is beginning to take shape, water access alone is no longer sufficient, and the challenge, the scale of which is immense, is now one of reliability, sustainability and institutional functionality.

“The Minister’s speech has rightly recognised the urgency of the moment. The task before the sector now is to ensure that this moment becomes the beginning of a genuine national water renaissance.”

However, the true measure of the Budget Vote will lie in the extent to which its commitments translate into functioning infrastructure, reliable services, financially sustainable institutions and restored public confidence.

Monyokolo pointed to Majodina’s emphasis on the establishment of the National Water Crisis Committee under the leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa and the development of the National Water Action Plan.

“The decision to elevate the water crisis to a national strategic priority reflects an important recognition that water security is inseparable from economic growth, public health, social stability and national development,” he continued, noting that Awsisa welcomed this coordinated whole-of-government approach.

“Water governance in South Africa has too often suffered from fragmentation, weak intergovernmental coordination and delayed implementation. The consolidation of efforts between the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), the Presidency, National Treasury and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs creates an opportunity for a far more integrated and decisive response.”

The focus on professionalisation, financial sustainability and ring-fencing of water revenues within municipalities is equally critical, as the failure by many municipalities to protect water revenues for operations, maintenance and infrastructure renewal has become one of the central drivers of service collapse.

“Water systems cannot function sustainably where revenue intended for water services is diverted elsewhere while maintenance is neglected and technical capacity erodes.”

Ring-fencing, financial accountability and competency-based management within municipal water services are practical necessities for sustainability, Monyokolo highlighted.

“Water infrastructure is highly capital-intensive and operationally complex. It requires predictable revenue streams, proper maintenance cycles, long-term planning and technically competent leadership.”

Further, Awsisa welcomed Majodina’s clear warning that government “will not hesitate” to intervene in failing municipalities, as South Africa can no longer afford a culture of paralysis where institutional collapse is tolerated while communities suffer prolonged deprivation.

“The use of constitutional and legislative intervention mechanisms, including Section 139 interventions and Section 63 provisions under the Water Services Act, must be guided by the principle that access to water is a constitutional right, not a negotiable administrative privilege.”

Meanwhile, the speech reflected encouraging signs of stabilisation across the seven water boards, some of which have, over the past decade, faced severe financial and governance pressures, largely driven by escalating municipal debt and broader weaknesses within the local government system.

This is critical amid the increasing roles of water boards in supporting struggling municipalities is particularly noteworthy.

“Institutions such as Rand Water, Magalies Water, Amatola Water, Lepelle Northern Water and uMngeni-uThukela Water are increasingly serving not merely as bulk suppliers, but as strategic implementing agents, operational partners and centres of technical expertise,” he said.

This evolving role must be carefully strengthened and institutionalised.

South Africa requires strong regional water institutions capable of supporting municipalities that lack sufficient technical and financial capacity, and this support must occur within clear governance frameworks that preserve accountability, operational efficiency and financial sustainability.

The issue of municipal debt owed – now exceeding R27-billion – to water boards remains one of the most serious systemic risks confronting the sector.

“No infrastructure institution can remain financially sustainable under such conditions indefinitely.”

Awsisa therefore welcomed the stronger measures being implemented jointly by the DWSand National Treasury, including equitable share withholding mechanisms and debt restructuring frameworks linked to current payment compliance.

In addition, the future of South Africa’s water security depends not only on infrastructure expansion, but also on integrated resource management, pollution control, groundwater protection, ecological sustainability and improved water-use efficiency, Monyokolo continued.

“Catchment management agencies occupy a strategic position in achieving these objectives. They must therefore be properly resourced, professionally managed and integrated into broader national planning frameworks.”

Awsisa also welcomed the commitment to fighting corruption and strengthening consequence management within the sector, noting that the establishment of the Water Sector Anti-Corruption Forum is a significant step that deserves broad support from all stakeholders.

“For Awsisa, this Budget Vote represents more than a yearly fiscal statement. It signals the emergence of a more assertive and reform-oriented phase within South Africa’s water sector.”

He said it reflected a growing recognition that South Africa’s water challenges require difficult decisions, institutional reform, stronger governance and collaborative partnerships across government, civil society, organised labour, the private sector and professional bodies.

“South Africa’s water future cannot be secured through government action alone. It requires a national partnership built on shared responsibility, disciplined implementation and long-term vision. The Minister’s Budget Vote has provided an important foundation for such a partnership.”