Water tankers should be temporary, residents say.
Communities in the Greater Mopani District Municipality have voiced support for the Water Services Amendment Bill, which aims to improve the regulation of water supply and sets out consequences for those who don’t comply with it.
But while the residents supported the bill, they also voiced concerns about its enforcement. They urged Parliament to ensure stronger accountability and institutional capacity to back up the new law.
The call came during the first of three public hearings held in Limpopo by Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation, held at Lenyenye Community Hall.
According to the committee, residents said the Bill’s success would depend on whether the Department of Water and Sanitation, municipalities and water service providers had the capacity to implement and enforce it.
Participants also called for a public compliance register that gives residents access to information on licensing, service performance and complaints processes.
Acting Committee Chairperson Sello Dithebe said Parliament must ensure that legislation reflects the realities faced by South Africans who are still struggling to access reliable water services.
“The concerns raised by communities are critical to our consideration of this Bill.
“Parliament must ensure that legislation is responsive to the lived experiences of South Africans, particularly communities that continue to experience challenges in accessing reliable and quality water services.”
Residents raised concerns about district municipalities failing to sign service level agreements with water service providers. They called for such agreements to be made compulsory.
Weaknesses in municipal governance and management were also identified as contributing to ongoing water access issues.
Some municipalities simply lack the financial and technical resources to maintain treatment infrastructure.
“We welcome the constructive participation of the people of Mopani and will carefully consider their recommendations as we process the Bill.”
The continued use of water tankers also drew criticism, with communities saying the practice should serve only as a stopgap during outages, not a long-term substitute for proper infrastructure.
The Bill proposes mandatory licensing for water service providers, minimum competency standards for water professionals, clearer division of duties between authorities and providers, and stronger penalties for non-compliance.
Hearings continued on Saturday at Nirvana Community Hall in Polokwane at 10am and will continue on Sunday at Bela-Bela Multipurpose Hall at 10am.
