Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation has expressed serious concerns over a growing trend where government officials accused of corruption and fraud resign from their positions to avoid disciplinary action, prompting calls for urgent legislative reforms.
Committee Chairperson Leon Basson highlighted the issue during discussions with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the Department of Water and Sanitation. He described the practice as an “easy way out” that allows disciplinary processes to be abandoned once an official steps down. The committee is advocating for changes to ensure that such hearings continue even after resignation and, where appropriate, that cases be converted into criminal proceedings.
“We will be looking at seeing how we can change the legislation to make sure that the people that were doing the wrong things, their disciplinary hearing should be finalized,” Basson stated. He added that the committee plans to engage with the Department of Justice and the SIU to explore viable legal options, emphasizing that it is “unacceptable” for these cases to simply stop. Basson suggested transforming qualifying matters into criminal cases to hold individuals accountable, potentially including jail time for those who harm the economy and the water sector.
Basson noted political support for the initiative, indicating that the minister has signaled backing for such a move, provided it is legally sound. He stressed the need for a “signed method” of addressing the problem to ensure those responsible “stand for what they have done wrong.”
The committee’s concerns come amid broader efforts to restore integrity in the Department of Water and Sanitation, which has faced significant challenges, including infrastructure issues and service delivery failures affecting consumers.
Basson acknowledged two distinct problems: municipalities struggling with water and sanitation delivery at the local government level, which falls outside the department’s direct jurisdiction, and the department’s responsibility for ensuring sustainable bulk water supply. He pointed to issues like high water losses in reticulation systems, such as in Johannesburg, where half of the delivered water is reportedly lost.
On progress within the department, Basson credited the appointment of a new Director-General about three years ago with driving improvements. In the financial year from April 2025 to March 2026, final written warnings were issued to 13 officials, up from four the previous year, as part of a clampdown on corruption and wasteful practices.
The SIU has played a key role in recovery efforts. According to Basson, nearly R600 million in cash or assets has been recovered, with another R250 million in the pipeline. Contracts worth R1.1 billion have been cancelled, and potential losses prevented exceed R700 million. He urged further action to reduce fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
Basson also addressed systemic challenges, including procurement problems and the so-called “tanker mafia,” which contributes to infrastructure vandalism for profit. The committee supports halting tenders for private tankers in affected areas, with municipalities and the department providing emergency water services instead.
Oversight interventions have yielded results, such as in Johannesburg, where the committee’s engagements revealed that R4 billion had been diverted from Johannesburg Water to the metro’s coffers, contrary to initial claims. Basson advocated for ring-fencing water and sanitation funds at the municipal level to prevent their use for salaries, vehicles, or cross-subsidization of other services.
Additional reforms under consideration include new legislation to strengthen municipal performance, allowing the withdrawal of water licenses from underperforming municipalities and their transfer to capable entities. The committee also seeks closer collaboration with the National Treasury (CoGTA) to enforce payments from municipalities to water boards, including through attachment of equitable share allocations to prevent water board collapses.
Basson outlined top priorities: tightening municipal accountability via license mechanisms, ring-fencing water revenue for infrastructure maintenance, and ensuring water boards receive payments for services delivered.
The committee views these steps—combined with ongoing SIU support and internal departmental changes—as moving the sector in the right direction, though much work remains to deliver reliable clean water and sanitation to residents.