The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has called for the country’s worsening water crisis to be declared a national disaster, warning that the situation has reached “crisis proportions”.
In a media statement, the commission said it would be issuing a letter to the Head of the National Disaster Management Centre recommending the classification and declaration of the water crisis as a national disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act.
The water crisis has reached a level where a broad, integrated and co-ordinated effort is required to turn the dire situation around,” said the SAHRC.
“Therefore, the classification and concomitant declaration of the water crisis in the country as a national disaster constitutes a reasonable measure in the circumstances. Properly and effectively implemented, the national state of disaster will ensure that emergency funds are mobilised and government collaboration is better co-ordinated,” it said.
However, the SAHRC warned about the potential for corruption.
“The SAHRC, however, cautions that the declaration of a national state of disaster on the water crisis should not become a breeding ground for corruption, malfeasance and embezzlement of funds,” it said, adding that sufficient oversight measures must be put in place to ensure fiscal prudence.
The commission urged government to continue instituting proactive measures, including preventative infrastructure maintenance, rehabilitation of critical water infrastructure, expediting bulk water projects and implementing community behavioural change campaigns on water preservation.
“Water is a fundamental human right entrenched in section 27 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Water is the lifeblood of human existence and plays a critical role in the achievement of several rights, such as healthcare, children’s rights, and education,” said the SAHRC.
It noted that water shortages have far-reaching consequences.
“The SAHRC has previously noted that the absence of water at schools negatively impacts educational outcomes as learners are forced to miss school,” it said.
The commission also said the disruption or lack of water supply has a detrimental impact on hospitals and clinics, impinging on the right to healthcare.
“The SAHRC has also noted that the lack of access to water disproportionately affects women and girl-children and compromises the attainment of gender equality,” it said.
The commission said it has in various reports identified drivers behind the country’s water challenges, including:
“These challenges are more pronounced at the municipal level, yet it is the sphere charged with delivering water to households and communities in the country,” the commission said.
The SAHRC also said it is concerned about the downward spiral in water management and distribution.
The commission said data from the South African Water Justice Tracker, which is a partnership between the SAHRC and the University of the Witwatersrand that tracks failures by water services authorities to provide households with clean and sufficient water, confirms that the crisis is not localised but affects various parts of the country.
According to the SAHRC, the tracker reveals ageing infrastructure, an inadequate funding model, a skills deficit and poor intergovernmental co-ordination as systemic and structural drivers behind the dysfunctionality of water services authorities.
