Mahlobo blames neglect for the SA water crisis

Decades of busted pipes and neglected infrastructure, not drought, are why millions of South Africans still lack reliable water.

Mahlobo owns up to the neglect

• Deputy Minister David Mahlobo blamed years of poor maintenance.
• He spoke at the 2026 Unisa Water Imbizo in Roodepoort.
• Full dams mean nothing when pipes leak half the supply.
• Crumbling treatment plants worsen an already grim situation.

Communities are bearing the brunt

• Hammanskraal residents went nearly 20 years without clean tap water.
• Rooiwal's failed wastewater plant has been polluting rivers.
• Johannesburg suburbs faced prolonged dry spells and zero pressure.
• Some tanker operators charge struggling families for basic supplies.

Big-money fixes are on the table

• Municipalities need roughly R400 billion for system upgrades.
• A National Water Resource Infrastructure Agency is planned.
• Mahlobo pitched wastewater reuse as a circular-economy play.
• Japan's water management practices got flagged as a model.

Accountability stays the core issue

• Skills shortages cripple the local government's maintenance capacity.
• Funds often vanish before reaching actual infrastructure projects.
• Mahlobo wants stronger oversight so money hits its targets.
• National Water Month framed the whole conversation on Tuesday.