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Chapter 5: Access to Basic Water Services
25 LITRES
EACH SOUTH AFRICAN
HAS A RIGHT TO THIS
VOLUME OF SAFE
WATER PER DAY
for basic water services has been prioritised over the maintenance of existing,
functioning services. This emphasis has led to a situation where municipalities are
failing to maintain existing and ageing infrastructure due to an absence of necessary
skills and management focus and funding.
“We are unhappy with the pre-paid and smart
meters. The workmanship is extremely bad in
installing piping and meters. This leaves us with the
leaks so access to water is difficult.”
− Kwa-Thema township resident
When service provision by local government fails, entrepreneurs charging high
prices for tankered water will often step in. The net result is that the poor often end
up paying the most for services that they have a right to receive for free. Each South
African has a right to 25 litres of safe water per day to meet their basic human needs.
THE SPECTRUM OF WATER ACCESS
Piped water
inside dwelling
Piped water
inside yard
Piped on community
stand < 200m from
dwelling
Piped on community
stand > 200m from
dwelling
No access to
piped (tap) water
PROVINCE 2001 2011 2001 2011 2001 2011 2001 2011 2001 2011
Western Cape 67,5 75,1 17,7 13,3 6,3 8,3 6,8 2,4 1,7 0,9
Eastern Cape 18,3 32,8 19,5 16,6 11,9 18,6 13,5 9,9 36,8 22,2
Northern Cape 34,3 45,8 37,7 32,3 10,9 12,8 11,1 6,6 6,0 2,6
Free State 22,8 44,8 47,7 44,3 13,7 6,2 11,4 2,6 4,4 2,2
KwaZulu-Natal 29,1 40,0 19,6 23,6 10,5 14,8 13,3 7,6 27,5 14,1
North West 18,7 29,3 35,5 40,0 16,0 14,3 16,4 8,0 13,4 8,4
Gauteng 46,4 62,1 36,4 27,3 7,0 6,0 7,3 2,8 2,9 1,8
Mpumalanga 19,8 35,7 36,7 36,0 12,8 9,2 16,4 6,6 14,3 12,6
Limpopo 9,7 18,4 29,2 33,9 16,1 20,5 23,1 13,2 21,9 14,0
South Africa 32,3 46,3 29,0 27,1 10,7 11,7 12,4 6,2 15,6 8,8
Source: Statistics South Africa Census 2011
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66 | Water Facts & Futures: Rethinking South Africa’s Water Future