Pemmy Majodina
Pemmy Majodina is a South African politician who serves as Minister of Water and Sanitation in the national Cabinet. She is a member of the African National Congress and holds responsibility for overseeing the country's water infrastructure, sanitation services and the regulation of water boards. Her portfolio includes addressing critical challenges such as ageing water treatment works, municipal debt owed to water boards and the financial sustainability of water utilities across South Africa's provinces. Majodina's mandate encompasses coordination with entities including the Department of Water and Sanitation, National Treasury and the Development Bank of Southern Africa to secure funding and implement infrastructure upgrades. She has been involved in policy decisions affecting water supply in major metropolitan areas such as Tshwane and Mangaung, as well as in provinces including the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, North West, Limpopo, Gauteng and the Western Cape. Her role places her at the centre of efforts to resolve the tension between municipal non-payment and the operational viability of water boards. Majodina reports to President Cyril Ramaphosa and participates in Cabinet-level discussions on water security and service delivery. She has held various positions within the ANC and government structures prior to her current ministerial appointment.
Pemmy Majodina Updates
Water Resources agency one step closer to establishment
By: Natasha Odendaal 26th May 2026 Major milestones have been passed in the establishment of the South African National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency (SANWRIA), and the... →
ActionSA welcomes Court ruling ordering urgent intervention in Eastern Cape water crisis
25th May 2026 ActionSA welcomes the ruling by the Eastern Cape High Court in Mthatha last week which confirmed that the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy... →
Water Budget Vote signals new era of accountability, water security, with crisis recognised - Awsisa chair
By: Natasha Odendaal 19th May 2026 Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina’s 2026 Budget Vote is one of the “clearest and most significant” policy interventions undertaken to... →
Bulk water in balance, local deficits still weigh on water sector 
By: Natasha Odendaal 15th May 2026 While South Africa’s raw water supply remains in balance with existing demand on a national scale, localised deficits remain – with municipal water... →
Some progress on Water Indaba 2025 resolutions, but implementation a year in patchy
By: Natasha Odendaal 10th April 2026 A year after the inaugural 2025 Water and Sanitation Indaba set out clear resolutions to reverse the significant decline seen in South Africa’s... →
Corruption-accused officials cannot avoid accountability by resigning, says Water and Sanitation Committee
2nd April 2026 The Portfolio Committee Water Affairs has flagged the problem of government officials accused of corruption and fraud who escape disciplinary... →
Latest 'Drop' reports show more deterioration of South Africa’s wastewater systems
By: Natasha Odendaal 1st April 2026 The latest Green Drop report and the Blue and No Drop progress assessment reports, released by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) on... →
From Crisis to Competence: South Africa’s Water Crisis Is Not Inevitable
1st April 2026 South Africa’s water crisis did not arrive overnight. It is the slow, predictable consequence of years of neglect, underinvestment, cadre... →
South Africa, Eswatini ink revised Komati River Basin treaty
By: Natasha Odendaal 13th March 2026 South Africa and Eswatini have signed a revised treaty on the development and use of the water resources of the Komati River basin. This followed... →
AfriForum demands immediate private-sector intervention to save municipal water services
12th March 2026 AfriForum today called on Minister Pemmy Majodina, Minister of Water and Sanitation, to give the private sector the opportunity to save... →
