No officials disciplined in three water catchment areas despite failures, says minister

Minister of Water and Sanitation Pemmy Majodina recently stated that no officials in three major catchment management agencies have faced disciplinary action, civil recovery proceedings, or criminal referral due to infrastructure failures, negligence, corruption, or performance issues since she assumed office. This revelation came in response to a parliamentary inquiry from MK party MP Visvin Reddy, who sought information on the number of water sector officials who faced consequences during her tenure.

Majodina's written response confirmed that the Breede-Olifants CMA, Vaal-Orange CMA, and Pongola-uMzimkulu CMA had no such cases during her time in office.

However, the minister revealed a backlog of disciplinary cases within the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) itself. During the 2024-25 financial year, Majodina reported that 22 cases carried over from the previous year, accompanied by 27 new cases, bringing the total to 49. Only 18 cases were resolved, leaving 31 still pending.

The following year, the department received 24 new cases, increasing the total to 58. By the first quarter of the 2026-27 financial year, the backlog had slightly decreased, with 21 cases carried over, 5 new cases received, 7 finalized, and 19 remaining open.

Corruption cases were acknowledged by Majodina, with 10 matters referred to criminal processes, while no cases related to infrastructure failure or negligence were reported. Rand Water, Lepelle Water, and Vaal Central Water were among the entities that reported disciplinary and criminal proceedings. The most serious criminal case involved alleged fraud at Magalies Water, with an official being referred for criminal proceedings.

Magalies Water also recovered all the money, while Overberg Water referred a negligence case to the criminal investigation authorities. The Water Research Commission reported a case of theft of assets, with the South African Police Service investigating the incident and another focusing on the impersonation of supply chain officers.