Deputy President Paul Mashatile has revealed that municipalities across South Africa collectively owe water boards a staggering R25.1 billion as of June 2025. He made the disclosure while addressing the National Council of Provinces in Parliament on Thursday.
Mashatile noted that the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, has urged municipalities to meet their payment obligations.
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“As of June 2025, the collective debt owed to water boards across the country stands at R25.1 billion. And to address this, Honourable Chairperson, the Minister of Water and Sanitation has made a call to affected municipalities to make regular payments on current accounts for undisputed debt. There are instances that municipalities will dispute,” Mashatile explained.
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While emphasising that government does not want to act punitively, Mashatile made it clear that municipalities that fail to pay water boards despite collecting revenue could face harsh financial measures.
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“We do not want to be punitive but where we realised that municipalities are not paying water boards and yet they are collecting revenue. That’s where that measure is being used to slice their budgets,” he said.
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Mashatile stressed that the government is also looking at broader interventions to tackle underlying issues, including aging infrastructure and faulty water systems, which contribute to financial challenges.
“Our intervention is going to be very comprehensive to ensure that we’re not seen as being punitive,” he added.
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