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Deputy President Paul Mashatile.
The Deputy President, Paul Mashatile, has convened a meeting with the Water Task Team to lay out interventions aimed at stabilising Gauteng’s water supply. Officials say electro-mechanical failures at Rand Water pump stations, and a major pipe burst, in late January temporarily reduced bulk supply.
Highlights: “To ensure water security in the long term, we are building new dams and upgrading existing infrastructure. We have committed more than R156 billion in public funding for water and sanitation infrastructure alone over the next three years.” #SONA2026 pic.twitter.com/wWnN0iiaVT
— Parliament of RSA (@ParliamentofRSA) February 13, 2026
Rand Water has restored full capacity, but municipal systems, particularly in Johannesburg, remain under pressure due to low reservoir levels, high demand and ageing infrastructure, with water losses averaging at 33%. Measures include load shifting, deploying water tankers and providing technical support to municipalities.
Mashatile, who chairs the task team, is expected to visit Johannesburg next week to monitor progress.
Meanwhile, Civil society organisation- WaterCAN, has expressed skepticism at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement of another committee, to deal with the country’s water crisis during his delivery of the state of the nation’s address, on Thursday evening.
WaterCAN’s Executive Director, Dr Ferrial Adam says that this is just another committee, among many others with nothing tangible to deal with the crisis.
National Water Crisis Committee. Dr. Ferrial Adam, @WaterCANsa Executive Manager, talks about water on #TheNationalPulse with @AshrafGarda pic.twitter.com/9tVrzUTfbG
— SAfmRadio 📻 (@SAfmRadio) February 13, 2026
“It’s another committee. Every time we have an obstacle or some kind of a big issue Ramaphosa forms either a commission, or a committee, and it’s not guaranteed that the committees have teeth, even though he says he’ll personally chair it. Until we know exactly what the terms of reference are for such a committee, what they aim to do, what are the actions that they’re going to take, right now it’s just seems like another talk shop, and another committee,” says Adam.
