As millions of South Africans continue to experience dry taps, water outages and failing infrastructure, a fresh debate has been sparked by comments from water and sanitation minister Pemmy Majodina, who has distanced her department from blame for the country’s worsening water crisis.
In an interview with the SABC, Majodina has argued that the department is responsible only for bulk water supply, while municipalities are constitutionally tasked with water distribution and maintenance.
According to the minister, many of the current failures stem from municipal mismanagement, ageing infrastructure and lack of maintenance — not from national government shortcomings.
Her remarks have drawn criticism from residents and analysts who say the national government cannot “wash its hands” of a crisis that has persisted for years, warning that weak oversight, poor enforcement and delayed interventions have contributed to the collapse of water systems across the country.
With trust in government services under pressure, the question is: where should accountability lie?
TimesLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.