Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read
26 June 2025 | 19:10 CAT

📷 SAHRC flags water sabotage crisis: Criminal syndicates bleed municipalities dry while communities go thirsty.

As Environmental Month draws to a close, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has raised grave concerns over the state of water infrastructure across the country, warning that sabotage by so-called “water mafias” is endangering a basic human right.

Commissioner Henk Boshoff, speaking on The Daily Round-Up, revealed that over the past year, the SAHRC met with municipalities in every province to uncover root causes of service delivery failures—particularly the provision of clean water.

“Access to water is a basic human right in terms of the constitution,” Boshoff emphasised. “Yet municipalities are battling not only a lack of funding and skills but also the deliberate sabotage of water systems.”

According to Boshoff, nearly all municipalities reported being held hostage by criminal syndicates dubbed water mafias, who allegedly vandalise and sabotage infrastructure to secure long-term contracts for water tankers. “These mafias damage infrastructure so they can profit from the crisis they helped create,” he explained.

The Commission has compiled a detailed policy brief in collaboration with academics from the Dullah Omar Institute at the University of the Western Cape. This report has been submitted to the Presidency, the Ministers of Water and Sanitation, Police, and other relevant departments. It calls for urgent, high-level intervention.

“We’ve recommended that activities targeting water services infrastructure be added to the priorities in the draft National Policing Policy,” Boshoff said. “The South African Police Service must urgently start policing infrastructure sabotage.”

While both President Cyril Ramaphosa and Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu acknowledged the existence of these mafias during a Water Indaba earlier this year, Boshoff stressed that more tangible action is needed. “The time for statements is over,” he warned. “Municipalities are crying out for SAPS support; they simply can’t afford private security.”

Boshoff ended with a stark reminder: “Water is the lifeblood of all living things. If we allow criminal interests to control it, we risk far more than service delivery. We risk our future.”

Listen to the full interview on The Daily Round-Up with Moulana Junaid Kharsany and Commissioner Henk Boshoff.