The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in Gauteng says it has received submissions which highlight a prima facie violation of the constitutional right of the people of Gauteng to be provided with adequate water.
The commission kicked off its three-day inquiry into the water crisis in the province at its offices in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.
The inquiry follows numerous complaints received by the commission 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.
The province has in recent times experienced recurring disruptions in water supply, which have raised serious concerns regarding the enjoyment of several constitutional rights, including the rights to dignity, equality, life and healthcare, a healthy environment, and access to sufficient water.
“From what we heard today, there is a prima facie violation of the right because if people are going for weeks without water, without even alternative access to water, that is a violation of the right to access adequate water. But not only that, water is life, water is dignity. When people are unable to access water, it also affects their health and impairs their dignity,” said SAHRC’s acting provincial manager in Gauteng, Khululiwe Sithole, who was speaking on YOU FM Newshour.
Sithole said the commission is concerned that the ongoing water crisis has severely impacted communities across the province, particularly poor and marginalised communities, residents of informal settlements, schools, healthcare facilities, and social care institutions.
“This was also emphasised by today’s submissions, which raised issues of equality, where people from low-income areas such as informal settlements are disproportionately disadvantaged when it comes to accessing water compared to people who live in more affluent areas,” explained Sithole.
The commission has further noted increasing concerns regarding emergency water supply mechanisms, including growing dependence on private water tanker systems during prolonged outages.
The inquiry continues on Wednesday and Thursday, with submissions expected from various stakeholders and role players including government departments, municipalities, water entities, civil society organisations, experts, and affected communities.
