SAHRC calls for water crisis to be declared a national disaster | The Citizen

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has called for the ongoing water crisis in Gauteng and other parts of South Africa to be declared a national disaster. The country is currently facing a deepening water crisis that could result in economic collapse and social instability. Communities across the country face water shortages and outages lasting more than 25 days, with infrastructure deterioration reaching critical levels and sewage contaminating water sources. SAHRC spokesperson Wisani Baloyi said data from the South African Water Justice Tracker reveals ageing infrastructure, inadequate funding models, skills deficits, and poor intergovernmental coordination as key systemic drivers. The SAHRC will issue a recommendation to the National Disaster Management Centre for a national disaster declaration under the Disaster Management Act. Baloyi also warned that such a declaration must include oversight to prevent corruption and fund embezzlement. Activists have urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to prioritize the crisis in his upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA).