A Durban community grapples with water service failures, highlighting the importance of accountability in municipal management.
The South African government's plan to impose personal criminal liability on municipal managers for the country's escalating water crisis is facing pushback.
While the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) is amending the National Water Act to hold officials personally accountable for service failures and pollution, the South African Local Government Association (Salga) warns the move could be short-sighted, arguing it overlooks systemic issues like historical backlogs, funding shortages, and ageing infrastructure.
The DWS amendment amongst others, proposes the insertion of a Section in the Water Service Amendment (WSA) Bill which provides the apportionment of liability, and where possible, to hold Directors of a firm or company personally liable.
During his State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa reiterated that government would hold to account those who neglect their responsibility to supply water.
