Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
15 May 2024 | 13:01 SAST
1-minute read

Image: News24

Sophisticated criminal syndicates, dubbed as the ‘water tanker mafia’, are taking advantage of the current water crisis in Kwa Zulu Natal (KZN) by actively sabotaging water supply systems.

Professor Anthony Turton, an expert in water resource management, discussed this issue on Radio Islam International earlier this morning, saying that the emergence of the syndicate began with a random act of vandalism that evolved into organised criminal activity that is supported by political organisations.

“They realised that by disrupting water flow, there can be tenders that can be awarded, and there can be a regular income for the syndicate that runs the operation,” Professor Turton said.

The modus operandi of the so-called water mafia syndicates begins with damage to critical components of the water supply network. Turton highlights the probability of insider information from politically connected officials.

Conditions for the success of the operation include the creation of an emergency in order to bypass the general procurement process. In this way, tenders are given to the ‘water tanker mafias’, who sell water to the end-user. Once their water has been depleted, they fill tanks with river water to avoid long queues at the municipal standpipes.

This is then passed off as municipal SANS 241 grade drinking water.

The activity has severe economic and social implications, Turton notes, including increased risks of spreading water-borne diseases.

The formation of what Turton calls a “sophisticated criminal franchise operation” is being conducted in numerous provinces across the country, including KZN, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and the Free State.

Turton strongly advises a return to the rule of law to end egregious criminal activity and ensure that an unstable water supply does not hamper economic activity in the country.

Listen to the full interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Muallima Annisa Essack here.