‘Another meeting will not fix the pipe’: SAHRC lays bare Gauteng’s water crisis

In a report released on Monday, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) identified systemic failures in Gauteng’s water and sanitation services, including ageing infrastructure, poor maintenance, electricity interruptions, failing wastewater treatment, pollution and municipal distribution problems. It warned that meetings and task teams are not enough, and that interventions should be judged by measurable improvements in service performance. The inquiry was held in Johannesburg from May 19 to 21 after numerous complaints; eight of the province’s nine municipalities appeared. The Commission said water being available at source does not ensure residents receive a safe, sufficient and reliable supply, as tankers become a permanent solution in some communities.