Our water is full of sewage. Today we can vote to fix it
The lost years of local government must end
South Africans have a chance on Wednesday to tackle mismanagement and corruption in local government. Since June last year, GroundUp has reported from 28 municipalities across all nine provinces. Repeated issues have been finances in disarray, unfinished infrastructure projects and dilapidated roads. However, the most alarming findings in our election series are related to water and sewage.
Over half of the municipalities that manage their own water have rated drinking water as poor or bad, or they fail to test for compliance. In 78% of the municipalities, treated sewage does not meet E. coli standards or is not reported. Raw or partially treated sewage often gets released into the oceans and into the water sources that supply drinking water.
The water treatment facilities are not equipped to handle this much pollution. Some municipalities have clean water but struggle to deliver it reliably, losing much to leaks and leaving residents without water for days.
National government has started to address the situation following the lost decade under Jacob Zuma, but local government reforms remain incomplete. Only 15% of municipalities received clean audits for 2024/25. Many municipalities have unfunded budgets and struggle to collect revenue for the services they provide. Residents and businesses owe municipalities R485-billion, with a significant portion unlikely to be collected. Municipalities owe creditors R185-billion, with Eskom alone owed R111-billion.
The situation will not improve unless local politics change. Some municipalities have been destabilized by poorly managed coalition governments and small parties, while others have been ruined by corrupt politicians who exploit the municipal budget for personal gain. Political violence during the elections, with 20 people murdered, underscores how high the stakes are for those seeking municipal power and funding.
We need politicians who will appoint competent people to run municipalities, and hold those guilty of mismanagement and corruption accountable. The local election on Wednesday is crucial, as elected officials can make the biggest difference to people's lives at the local level. While we cannot recommend a specific candidate, we urge you to vote for the person most likely to improve your neighborhood and town.
Written by urgent.news from GroundUp's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
