Water department will work with police to bring down ‘water mafias’

Deputy water and sanitation minister David Mahlobo has pledged action against water infrastructure sabotage and criminal syndicates in the sector.

He said water “mafias” were undermining service delivery and violating the constitutional right to water in vulnerable communities.

Speaking during a webinar hosted by the SA Human Rights Commission this week, Mahlobo described the destruction, vandalism and extortion within the water sector as acts of economic sabotage.

He highlighted how criminal syndicates, often colluding with unscrupulous individuals, were deliberately disrupting water supply networks, damaging pump stations, pipelines and valves and profiting by selling water through tankers at inflated prices. The activities not only cripple infrastructure but also endanger public health, inflate municipal budgets through recurring repair costs and degrade the dignity of affected communities.

It had become widespread and the government was battling the theft of critical components such as pipes, cables and meters, he said. The problem was not limited to urban centres and was emerging across the country, and required urgent, co-ordinated and forceful action.

Mahlobo said the department would intensify its collaboration with law enforcement agencies and all levels of government to ensure those behind the sabotage were identified and prosecuted.

“We will not tolerate the deliberate sabotage of our water infrastructure. The criminal acts are an attack on our constitutional democracy and our commitment to human rights. There will be no hesitation in acting against those responsible. We are closing the space for criminals to operate and we will pursue them relentlessly through law enforcement and community mobilisation and with the full weight of state institutions.”

He highlighted the importance of community engagement in protecting infrastructure, urging citizens to report suspicious activities and support public education efforts aimed at raising awareness about the implications of vandalism and theft.

TimesLIVE

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