The SAHRC is currently receiving public submissions from communities in the province on the ongoing water crisis.
Gauteng's major metro municipalities and other local municipalities across the province have regressed in their financial standing and procurement for water-related services.
This comes as the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), which is currently holding public hearings as part of its inquiry into the water challenges faced by communities in the province, received submissions from civil society organisations gathered at Constitution Hill on Tuesday.
According to a damning report from the Auditor General of South Africa's (AGSA) office, these municipalities have become serial offenders when it comes to their audit outcomes. Andries Sekgetho, a representative from the AGSA's office, delivered an alarming assessment saying: "The performance of Gauteng municipalities has not been good in the last three years. No municipality managed to achieve a consistent clean audit, with significant metros like Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni now being qualified in terms of their findings."
The SAHRC inquiry follows numerous complaints concerning persistent and widespread water shortages, recurring service delivery disruptions, ageing infrastructure, governance failures, and the deteriorating reliability of water supply systems across the province.
