In his weekly newsletter, the South African leader described access to clean water and sanitation as a constitutional right and a driver of investor confidence, essential for driving economic progress.

His remarks, which follows a national meeting on the subject held last week, representatives from national and local government, water boards, experts, innovators and private sector stakeholders proposed recommendations for better water management with clear timelines for implementation.

At the meeting, participants agreed on key points such as prioritizing structural reforms such as the reestablishment of the water quality monitoring system, and the streamlining of water resource use license applications.

The president highlighted the creation of the National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency as a transformative step to develop and manage national water infrastructure, while mobilizing funding for related projects.

Ramaphosa recalled how South Africa has made significant progress in the development of water infrastructure such as Phase 2 of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, the Polihali Dam and the Ntabelanga Dam on the uMzimvubu River.

In terms of some future challenges in the sector, the chairman highlighted the damage caused by corruption, vandalism, and infrastructure theft, issues in which community participation in the protection of water infrastructure through initiatives such as the establishment of local protection committees was proposed.

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