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Joburg's water, sanitation infrastructure investment needs to double

Despite the magnitude of the City of Johannesburg's (CoJ's) existing sewer and water network, infrastructure will need to double over the next ten years to meet the surge in demand, delegates heard at the Symposium on the Future of Water-Efficient Sanitation on Thursday.

The two-day symposium is being hosted by the CoJ, together with the Department of Water and Sanitation, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), the South Africa Local Government Association, the Water Partnerships Office, the Water Research Commission and Planact.

Amid the expected population surge in the next ten years from 5.8-million to seven-million and subsequent rising demand, the city requires R3-billion a year to invest in bulk infrastructure and maintenance, yet the city can only afford R1-billion, said CoJ Mayor Councillor Dada Morero.

Highlighting the magnitude of the challenge, he said that the CoJ currently had a sewer network spanning more than 12 000 km, six wastewater treatment plants and 38 pumpstations.

The city has been buckling under the pressure to maintain or replace the existing, aging infrastructure.

"We do not have the resources. We are unable to provide proper reticulation," he warned, pointing out that the aging infrastructure, in some cases, required full replacement.

Despite the urgent need to invest in bulk infrastructure and invest in infrastructure maintenance, the city is unable to make timeous interventions with own resources and money.

"One of the only ways we can intervene is to go and raise money in the capital market," Morero said, commenting, however, that he believed that the CoJ was making inroads to ring-fencing revenue and raising capital.

RING-FENCING REVENUE

The city has started partially ring-fencing Joburg Water's revenue with a 70:30 split. The city retains 30% to support the nonrevenue departments in the city.

The ring-fencing of revenue is part of the conditions of an imminent R12-billion to R13-billion deal with the DBSA to raise the capital to invest into Johannesburg's infrastructure needs.

The signing of the deal, which will conclude in due course, also means that the city has a responsibility to ensure that it protects its revenue, and proves that it is able to maintain revenue collections at levels that will ensure the city can service the debt and maintain the infrastructure moving forward.

"There is no point in deploying R13-billion, but you are not deploying sufficient resources to maintain that infrastructure," he continued.

"We did very well in 2025/26, when, for the first time, we were able to push the maintenance budget of the city from 4% to about 7%, which was a significant jump."

The CoJ is aiming to raise this to 8% in the current financial year, with an ambition to raise it further next year to about 9%, surpassing the national average and the requirements by National Treasury on infrastructure maintenance.

While investment is critical, there is also a need for innovation and better technology.

"We do not just need money, we need innovative technologies because we do not have the money to do a full-scale reticulation," Morero pointed out.

Working together with management and finance teams, he believes that the CoJ is making the necessary inroads to change the narrative in Johannesburg.

"It can't be that Johannesburg continues to experience more than 10 000 [water pipe] bursts on a monthly basis. It cannot. We therefore have to invest, put in the right money, and chase the technology."

South Africa says African Union backs broad migration debate

The African Union (AU) has backed a broader discussion on migration, a South African government official said on Thursday, after Ghana made a proposal to place xenophobic violence in South Africa on the agenda of an upcoming AU meeting.

Ghana has been a prominent critic of anti-immigrant protests and xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

Clayson Monyela, a South African foreign affairs official, said on X that Pretoria had defeated an attempt to "single out & isolate" the country.

"The AU will discuss the migration issue broadly & look at the 'Pull & Push' factors," Monyela wrote, referring to conditions that drive people to leave their countries and those that draw them elsewhere.

Over the past few months anti-migrant protests have taken place in South Africa.

Ghana repatriated hundreds of its citizens ahead of a June 30 deadline set by a South African anti-migrant movement for undocumented foreigners to leave.

Local media reported that the AU had rejected a proposal from Ghana that would have meant xenophobic violence in South Africa was discussed as a stand-alone agenda item at the body's mid-year coordination meeting in October.

Neither South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation nor a spokesperson for the Ghanaian government had any immediate comment.

Seiso Mohai is PIC's new chairperson

South Africa's government appointed a new chairperson at the State-owned fund manager that oversees $220-billion, seeking to restore confidence in an institution buffeted by years of governance scandals.

Deputy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Minister Seiso Mohai will replace David Masondo as chairperson of the Public Investment Corp., Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said at a briefing in Pretoria on Thursday. Masondo, the nation's deputy finance minister, resigned the post last week.

The board appointments cap two weeks of management turbulence at the PIC, after Masondo suspended Chief Executive Officer Patrick Dlamini over governance concerns — an action Dlamini is challenging in court. Masondo, in turn, stepped down under pressure from his boss, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, after the two differed over how the issue was handled.

Mohai, 59, has been deputy planning minister since July 2024. A member of the African National Congress, South Africa's biggest political party, he's previously served as the chairperson of the Select Committee on Appropriations and co-chairman of the Joint Standing Committee on Financial Management of Parliament, according to the legislature's website.

The PIC's new leadership will be tasked with restoring stability at the fund, which manages civil servants' pensions and has significant minority stakes in most of South Africa's biggest companies — giving it considerable influence over the country's corporate landscape.

Its holdings include more than a fifth of technology giant Naspers and telecommunications firm MTN Group and about 15% of banks Absa Group, FirstRand, Investec, Capitec and Standard Bank Group.

Impeachment Committee launches appeal against Phala Phala interdict

The Section 89 Impeachment Committee met on Wednesday to deliberate on the Western Cape High Court ruling delivered last Friday, and resolved to appeal to the Constitutional Court to challenge the interdict.

The High Court had granted President Cyril Ramaphosa an urgent interim interdict, successfully halting Parliament's impeachment proceedings against him.

Ramaphosa's legal team previously argued that the process should be suspended until the court finalises a separate review regarding the Independent Panel's report on the Phala Phala game farm scandal.

In response, Committee Chairperson Makashule Gana confirmed that Parliament's Legal Services Division briefed members on the judgment's implications.

Following this briefing, the committee instructed its legal team to immediately prepare and file appeal papers.

The committee also resolved that the members of the Independent Panel who authored the report will not be required to appear before it, as the panel's mandate concluded with the submission of its report.

Instead, upcoming evidence leaders will be tasked with guiding committee members through the existing text and gathered evidence.

Gana explained that while the committee aimed to finalise its administrative framework on Wednesday, extensive debates derailed the schedule.

Members failed to conclude discussions on nominations for the appointment of evidence leaders and the draft terms of reference designed to guide the formal enquiry.

Gana stated that owing to the length of member contributions, the committee will reconvene next week to clear the backlog.

The inquiry is scheduled to continue its deliberations on Wednesday and Friday.

The committee aims to secure evidence leaders and establish terms of reference during these sessions, maintaining its mandate despite the pending appellate battle.

DA demands answers over Army Chief's Moscow visit

The DA will submit urgent parliamentary questions to Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga following an official visit to Moscow by Chief of the South African Army Lieutenant-General Lawrence Mbatha.

According to a South African National Defence Force (SANDF) statement, the visit aimed to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation, foster closer collaboration with Russian Ground Forces, and expand joint military training and education.

The official programme featured high-level staff talks, a visit to the Moscow Combined Arms School, and a wreath-laying ceremony at the tomb of the unknown soldier.

DA spokesperson on Defence and Military Veterans Chris Hattingh, said the party is seeking "immediate transparency" by demanding clarity on who approved the trip and whether the Presidency or Dirco were consulted, the total cost of the delegation, the exact objectives, agreements concluded, and specific defence topics discussed and how the engagement aligns with South Africa's foreign policy.

Hattingh rejected the idea that the trip was routine defence diplomacy and argued that strengthening military ties during Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine amounts to an "endorsement of its military campaign".

He said this engagement directly contradicts government claims of maintaining a non-aligned stance and argued that South Africa cannot credibly act as a potential mediator in the conflict while publicly bolstering relations with one of the "active belligerents".

The DA highlighted that the SANDF is currently grappling with severe financial constraints, declining operational readiness, ageing hardware and equipment and critical capability gaps.

The DA views this visit as part of a "problematic, broader pattern".

Recent military engagements have repeatedly drawn international scrutiny, including exercise Mosi II naval drills, the Lady R docking controversy and exercise Will for Peace 2026.

Hattingh said these events collectively erode South Africa's international credibility.

Final weekend to register to vote, urges IEC

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is entering its final phase of operational readiness ahead of the final voting station-based registration weekend and is urging voters to make use of the opportunity before the voter's roll closes.

As voters prepare to register on Saturday and Sunday, the commission expects that Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa will officially proclaim the 2026 local government election date.

This looming proclamation carries strict legal deadlines for voters and political parties and triggers an immediate freeze on voter data.

While President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the election date as November 4, that did not constitute the formal proclamation of the election date.

IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo stressed that the voters' roll will close at midnight on the exact day the election is proclaimed, warning that no new registrations can be processed and no changes to existing voter registration details will be allowed after.

He explained that online portals for voter registration will be permanently deactivated, and all active registration drives by the commission will cease.

He urged voters to use this final registration weekend to ensure their names and physical addresses are correctly captured before the midnight cutoff.

The proclamation also marks the legal commencement of the Electoral Code of Conduct, issued under the Municipal Electoral Act.

The code remains active until the final election results are officially announced.

According to Mamabolo, the code is designed to safeguard the democratic process by fostering political tolerance across all communities, open public debate without fear of retaliation and free political campaigning for all participants.

The IEC warned against the creation of "no-go" zones, stating they violate the letter and the spirit of the code.

All registered political parties, independent candidates, office bearers, and party leaders are legally bound by these rules, he reminded.

With the election timeline spinning into motion, the candidate nomination process for both party-affiliated and independent candidates can begin.

The IEC has officially activated its Online Candidate Nomination System on its website to streamline submissions.

Following the Minister's official proclamation, the IEC will formally gazette a comprehensive Election Timetable.

Mamabolo explained that this document will dictate all critical cut-off dates and times for the remaining electoral activities.

The Commission called on all eligible citizens to take "decisive action" this weekend to secure their right to vote.

ANC pledges 'strict financial discipline' strategy ahead of local elections

The ANC is rolling out a targeted local government intervention programme to address systemic failures in water, electricity, refuse, and roads, through a dual strategy of enforcing strict financial discipline while actively rescuing collapsing municipalities ahead of the local government elections.

Speaking at Luthuli House, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said the ANC is leveraging constitutional mechanisms to intervene directly where local councils have faltered.

He emphasised that public funds must be rigorously protected through parliamentary oversight, particularly the withholding of grants from underperforming municipalities.

He noted the recent Auditor-General reports, which he said indicates the beginning of a municipal recovery, stating that the number of municipalities achieving clean audit outcomes has increased, and that municipalities are achieving near-total billing accuracy.

While the party views these shifts as evidence that competent management can restore municipal health, Mbalula cautioned that these preliminary successes are not yet victories to be celebrated.

Acknowledging the deep societal anguish caused by water scarcity, Mbalula stated that "no dispute is worth a human life".

He said government is deploying urgent rescue teams and drilling boreholes in areas where piping infrastructure is not yet established.

The ANC is "using its success in halting loadshedding for over a year" as a blueprint for fixing water infrastructure, he noted.

The President's new National Water Action Plan aims to mirror this operational seriousness to secure a reliable water supply nationwide, Mbalula said.

BBBEE

Meanwhile, Mbalula defended Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) against what he described as an orchestrated effort to discredit policies of redress.

He cited stark economic data to underscore the necessity of transformation, pointing out that the richest tenth holds roughly 86% of all wealth and that a few thousand individuals hold more wealth than the poorest 32-million South Africans combined.

He noted that South Africa remains the most unequal country in the world.

"An economy owned by so few is not only unjust, it is unstable. BBBEE is not a cost; it is an investment in stability and social peace," Mbalula said.

The ANC's long-term economic strategy focuses on "tangible workforce benefits" rather than ownership alone.

Key priorities include, processing raw minerals locally to maximise economic value and job creation; safeguarding workers as artificial intelligence integrates into local industries and converting the current Social Relief of Distress grant into a permanent basic income support system.

Mbalula dismissed critical research and media commentary aimed at undermining redistribution policies, asserting that economic inclusion remains a lawful and non-negotiable demand for all citizens.

South African army chief visits Moscow, agrees to strengthen military ties

Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha, the chief of the South African Army, held talks with Russian counterparts on Tuesday during a visit to Moscow which his hosts said resulted in an agreement to beef up ties between the two nations' land forces.

Mbatha, on his second official visit to Russia, was part of a military delegation which Russia's Defence Ministry said would visit military academies and defence companies after holding talks in the capital.

"The two sides discussed joint projects at the (Russian army's) General Headquarters aimed at enhancing the combat readiness of both countries' armies," the Russian ministry said in a statement.

"Agreements were reached on further strengthening cooperation between the land forces in various areas."

South Africa has sought to maintain a non-aligned stance on the conflict in Ukraine, while preserving strong ties with Moscow as a fellow member of the BRICS group of emerging economies.

Mbatha was shown paying his respects at Moscow's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before holding talks with Russian Colonel General Alexander Matovnikov, deputy commander-in-chief of Russia's land forces, who thanked South Africa's political and military leadership for what he called its "firm position" on Russia and shared vision of a multipolar world.

South Africa adds Angolan kwanza to regional cross-border payment system

South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago said on Monday that the Angolan kwanza has become the first new settlement currency added to the Southern African regional payment system since its 2013 launch, marking a milestone in the expansion of the platform beyond the South African rand.

The system facilitates real-time settlement of cross-border transactions across the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and was developed to facilitate funds transfer for cross-border payments in the region to promote trade and investment. It replaced costlier correspondent banking arrangements previously used for regional transactions.

Trade and interbank transactions between Angola and the other 14 SADC states amounted to approximately $3.77-billion across nine currencies in 2025, SARB data showed.

South Africa accounted for a significant share of these flows, at nearly $2.99-billion, representing about 60% of transaction volumes and 79% of total value.

Payment reforms were a key issue under South Africa's G20 presidency. Kganyago called for greater interoperability and regulatory alignment in sub-Saharan Africa.

Speaking at a press briefing in Pretoria with the Banco Nacional de Angola Governor Manuel Tiago Dias, Kganyago said the introduction of the kwanza was a demonstration of regional integration in action.

"It strengthens regional financial connectivity and it shows that Africa can build sophisticated financial market infrastructure that responds to African priorities", said Kganyago.

Operated by the SARB on behalf of the region's central banks, the real-time settlements system has grown since its 2013 launch to include 15 member states and up to 89 participating banks.

SADC-RTGS system is one of several initiatives currently underway to improve cross-border payments across Africa, alongside the continent-wide Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Protocol on Digital Trade.

Sub-Saharan Africa's average person-to-person remittance cost sits above 4%, well above the G20's global target of an average cost of 1% by 2027.

Ramaphosa promises action against criminality in water sector as govt launches reforms

President Cyril Ramaphosa has pledged swift and firm action against criminal networks and corrupt individuals benefiting from irregular water contracts and intentional infrastructure damage, amid the country's chronic water disruptions.

Writing in his weekly newsletter to the nation on Monday, Ramaphosa acknowledged that water disruptions have left millions of citizens facing daily uncertainty, with the inability to cook, clean, or run businesses.

To reverse this decline, the President highlighted key interventions, major funding boosts, and structural reforms driven by the newly released National Water Action Plan.

He said government is targeting root causes of water failures through targeted municipal support and legislative updates.

The State is pursuing criminal networks and has launched legal action against dozens of non-compliant municipalities violating the National Water Act.

Ramaphosa explained that the water boards are actively assisting struggling municipalities by drilling emergency boreholes and redirecting grant money to the worst-performing regions.

He announced that the National Water Crisis Committee (WATERCOM) will meet regularly to track progress and hold public entities accountable

Further, the National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency Act introduces a specialised agency tasked solely with developing, operating, maintaining, and financing national water infrastructure.

Ramaphosa said six new catchment management agencies have been established to protect major water systems and give local communities more control.

He said South Africa is channelling massive financial resources into rebuilding its failing water network through a mix of national grants and public-private partnerships.

"… in the uMkhanyakude district municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, R1.3-billion of grant-funded projects will improve the reliability of water services to over 130 000 households. In Thembisile Hani local municipality in Mpumalanga, a R2-billion project will provide access to 65 000 unserved households. This project is 80% complete. In Limpopo, mining companies are funding half of a R26-billion pipeline project that will reach 180 000 households," he noted.

He pointed to the partnership between Rand Water and the Emfuleni local municipality to create a self-sustaining water provider.

He acknowledged that for too many South Africans, turning on a tap has become an act of uncertainty.

Ramaphosa explained that through the programme for unserved rural communities, 71 borehole projects have already been completed in Mpumalanga, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, reaching about 30 000 households that previously had no access.

Between 80 and 100 more boreholes will be drilled this year, and 500 over the next two years, extending water to around 250 000 households, he added.

Ramaphosa emphasised that the main priority now shifts to strict implementation, clear responsibilities, and unyielding accountability to ensure clean drinking water for every community, regardless of where they live.