WaterCAN warns Ramaphosa’s new committee against cecoming a talk shop

Advocacy group WaterCAN has cautioned that the Water Crisis Committee announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday must not become another talk shop.

In his State of the Nation Address, the President said he would chair a committee to address the water shortages that have left communities across the country without water for weeks.

The organisation, which has been part of protests against widespread water outages in Johannesburg, says the committee must adopt clear action plans, firm deadlines, and include meaningful civil society participation to ensure transparency and credibility.

Director Feriel Adam says one of the first tasks the committee must tackle is crime in the water sector.

“The water mafias are a direct threat to water security. It is in their interest that infrastructure remains broken,” said WaterCAN’s Adam. “The President must order an immediate national audit of all water tanker contracts, including beneficial ownership, pricing, delivery verification, and any illicit financial flows between tanker networks, officials, and politicians.”