South Africa’s deepening water crisis is expected to take centre stage at the 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA), with government weighing the escalation of the situation to a national disaster as communities across the country continue to grapple with unreliable or non-existent water supply.
With elections looming, service delivery failures particularly the inability of many municipalities to provide consistent access to water are likely to weigh heavily on voters’ minds. The crisis has exposed longstanding weaknesses in local governance, ageing infrastructure, and strained municipal finances.
Last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa identified water and electricity services as priority areas, announcing plans to ring-fence municipal utilities to ensure that revenue generated from these services is reinvested into maintenance and upgrades.
“Starting this year, we will work with our municipalities to establish professionally managed, ring-fenced utilities for water and electricity services to ensure that there is adequate investment and maintenance,” Ramaphosa said at the time.
However, 12 months later, water shortages remain widespread. Deteriorating infrastructure, unpaid accounts, and illegal connections continue to undermine service delivery in many towns and cities.
Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has warned that poor financial management is worsening the problem. She said municipalities often divert revenue from water sales to other expenses, leaving little for repairs and upgrades.
“If we allow municipalities to use water sales revenue for anything other than water infrastructure, we are not going to resolve the issue,” Majodina said.
She added that the department plans to tighten oversight of water revenue and is encouraging alternative service delivery models, including partnerships with the private sector and concession agreements. Mbombela was cited as an example where external management of water services has improved performance.
In response to what officials describe as a “crippling” system, government has begun reviewing the White Paper on Local Government. The review aims to modernise the structure of municipalities and address funding challenges that have left many unable to meet basic service obligations.
Ramaphosa acknowledged that structural flaws are at the heart of many municipal failures.
“Many of the challenges in municipalities arise from the design of our local government system. We will undertake extensive consultation to develop an updated white paper and review the funding model for municipalities, as many do not have a viable and sustainable revenue base,” he said.
A joint task team made up of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) and National Treasury has been established to reassess the funding framework.
COGTA Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa said the current model entrenches inequality between wealthier and poorer municipalities.
“The current funding model is unsustainable. The new model must consider each municipality’s unique needs and ensure a fairer distribution of resources,” he said.
The department has received more than 260 submissions as part of the consultation process and plans to present the revised white paper to Cabinet by March 2026.
Deputy Minister Dickson Masemola stressed the urgency of meeting deadlines, warning that delays could stall critical reforms needed to stabilise local government.
Measures expected to be announced during this week’s SONA are aimed at reviving struggling municipalities, with additional financial support likely to be outlined in the 2026 national budget later this month.
For many residents still queuing at water tankers or enduring dry taps, those promises cannot come soon enough.