MIDDELBURG — Mpumalanga MEC for Co-operative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (CoGHSTA), Speed Mashilo, says government will be judged not by strategies and conferences, but by whether water comes out when residents open their taps.
Mashilo was speaking at the Mpumalanga Water and Sanitation Dialogue in Middelburg on Thursday, 10 September, ahead of the Association of Water and Sanitation Institutions of South Africa (AWSISA) Africa and Global South Water and Sanitation Dialogue, which will be held from 23 to 26 November at the Durban International Convention Centre.
“We say water is life, sanitation is dignity. This is one of the most important governance and developmental responsibilities we have,” Mashilo said.
“Water is not merely an engineering issue. Water is a constitutional issue, it is a governance issue, it is an economic development issue, it is about climate resilience, and indeed, above all, water is about human dignity.”
Mashilo said communities judge governments by the quality and reliability of water and sanitation services, including whether wastewater is properly treated, infrastructure is maintained and municipalities respond when systems fail.
“That is why this dialogue must ultimately be a dialogue about implementation, accountability and results,” he said.
He acknowledged that some communities in Mpumalanga continue to experience inadequate services because of ageing infrastructure, growing demand, poor maintenance and a shortage of technical capacity.
However, he said progress was being made through bulk water schemes and wastewater upgrades, including the R35 million Blinkpan Wastewater Treatment Works project in Steve Tshwete.
He said the Provincial Water and Sanitation Master Plan would improve the coordination of infrastructure investments.
“Our responsibility is therefore not simply to build more infrastructure. It is to ensure that we plan it properly, finance it sustainably, construct it to a high standard, operate it efficiently, maintain it throughout its useful life, and protect it from vandalism and theft.”
Mashilo outlined six priorities for improving water security in the province: strengthening municipal capacity, adopting new technology, expanding infrastructure funding, improving governance and consequence management, building climate resilience and strengthening partnerships ahead of the AWSISA dialogue.
On municipal capacity, he called for greater investment in engineers, technicians, artisans, financial managers and young professionals. He also criticised poor contractor performance, saying projects could become more expensive and take longer when contractors fail to deliver.
On technology, Mashilo called for the use of smart systems and telemetry to detect underground leaks, reduce non-revenue water losses and combat illegal connections.
He also raised concerns about what he described as “water mafias” that deliberately damage infrastructure to create opportunities to sell water.
Mashilo said government could not fund all infrastructure needs alone and called for greater involvement from development finance institutions and private-sector partners.
He said project preparation, professional accountability and long-term operations and maintenance needed to be considered from the beginning of infrastructure projects.
“If you buy a car today and you don’t service it, it will break down,” he said.
On governance and compliance, Mashilo said some water challenges were linked not to water scarcity but to poor maintenance, weak contract management, vandalism and a lack of consequence management.
He also called for stronger enforcement of municipal bylaws aimed at reducing water wastage.
Mashilo said climate change also needed to be considered when planning and protecting water infrastructure, particularly following recent floods in Mpumalanga.
“Whatever we build now must stand the test of time and climate change,” he said.
He said the provincial dialogue should contribute practical solutions, investment opportunities and measurable commitments to the upcoming AWSISA dialogue.
Mashilo said Mpumalanga also had success stories to showcase, including improvements recorded by some municipalities in the Blue Drop and Green Drop assessments.
“As the Province of the Rising Sun, we welcome this dialogue, and we are certain that in 2026, it will be successful,” he concluded.
