President Cyril Ramaphosa made a decisive move to address the country’s growing water crisis by announcing the establishment of a new state-owned enterprise (SOE), the National Water Resource Infrastructure Agency (NWRIA).
The agency expects to begin operations by 2026.
Mandate and Objectives of NWRIA
At the National Water and Sanitation Indaba, President Ramaphosa highlighted that the NWRIA will tackle ongoing water and sanitation issues.
He stressed that ageing infrastructure, vandalism, illegal connections, organised crime, financial mismanagement, and high water losses have severely undermined service delivery and discouraged private investment in water infrastructure.
The agency aims to tackle these challenges by improving infrastructure, governance, and accountability for more efficient service delivery.
Under the provisions of the Act, the agency’s main mandate is to streamline water resource management by consolidating various responsibilities into a single body.
This consolidation will facilitate more efficient planning, implementation, and funding of critical water infrastructure projects.
According to BusinessTech the key goals of the NWRIA include:
- Ensuring a sustainable and equitable water supply for all South Africans.
- Increasing investment in water infrastructure.
- Improving water quality.
- Addressing fragmentation in water resource management.
- Attracting private investment.
- Generating revenue from water sales.
One of the agency’s primary functions will be to implement water resource management infrastructure projects identified by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS).
The NWRIA will collect water use charges to generate revenue.
This will provide a steady income stream to fund its operations and infrastructure development.
Establishment Timeline
BusinessTech also reported that the President and Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, both acknowledged that the current system, with fragmented responsibilities, has not attracted the investment needed to address the water crisis.
They emphasised the need for a more unified approach to secure the necessary resources and funding.
Although access to piped water has increased, water supply in South Africa is frequently disrupted due to inadequate infrastructure investment, corruption, and illegal connections.
Minister Majodina initially stated that the establishment of the SOE was expected to be complete by May 2025.
President Ramaphosa indicated that 2026 is a more realistic timeline.
How do you think this initiative will impact water access and quality in South Africa?
Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.
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