Water Rights Tracker assesses all 144 authorities amid mounting municipal debt

The Water Rights Tracker, launched by the Claude Leon Chair in Earth Justice and Stewardship at the University of the Witwatersrand and the South African Human Rights Commission, assesses all 144 water services authorities using 85 indicators. It aims to identify service delivery gaps and strengthen transparency and accountability for the constitutional right to water. Its launch comes as R28 billion in municipal debt puts pressure on the water sector, alongside declining maintenance spending and concerns over governance failures. SAHRC Commissioner Dr Henk Boshoff said the tracker would support gap analysis and help monitor the state’s obligations.