As President Cyril Ramaphosa gathers government officials and stakeholders at the National Water and Sanitation Indaba in Midrand this morning, Build One South Africa (BOSA) is leading a picket to demand urgent action on our country’s deepening water crisis.
South Africans do not need another talk shop. They do not need another indaba filled with empty promises and self-congratulatory speeches. What they need is water – reliable, safe, and accessible water, as guaranteed by our Constitution.
The crisis we face is not due to drought or a lack of resources. It is a direct result of mismanagement, corruption, and years of government failure. Across the country, from Johannesburg to Limpopo, from the Eastern Cape to Gauteng, communities are suffering.
In hospitals, doctors and nurses battle to save lives without running water. In schools, our children are sent home because there is no water for sanitation. In homes, taps run dry while leaks go unfixed, and those in charge turn a blind eye.
On Human Rights Day, we announced our Water Litigation Initiative which is an authoritative step to hold this government accountable in court for its failure to provide one of the most basic human rights.
Our case is clear: Water-shedding in critical institutions such as hospitals and schools is unconstitutional and indefensible. The government’s failure to ensure reliable water supply is not just an inconvenience—it is a violation of the right to healthcare, the right to education, and the right to dignity.
We are taking legal action to ensure:
- An end to water-shedding in essential institutions – No hospital should ever have to delay surgery due to a lack of water. No school should ever have to close because there is no water for students.
- Accountability and action from government – We will not accept more empty speeches. We demand immediate infrastructure repairs, financial accountability, and a clear action plan to resolve water supply failures.
- Structural relief to fix the water crisis permanently – We are calling for judicial oversight to ensure long-term solutions, not short-term fixes.
Our message to President Ramaphosa and his government is simple: South Africans are tired of excuses. We will not wait for another indaba. We will not wait for another collapse.
BOSA is taking this fight to the courts because every South African has the right to clean, safe, and reliable water. This is not a privilege—it is a constitutional obligation.
Mr. President, if you want to address this crisis, step outside your indaba, face the people, and give them what they are constitutionally owed: Water.
The time for talk is over.
Media Statement by
Roger Solomons: BOSA Acting Spokesperson
Thursday 27 March 2025
Media Enquiries:
Roger Solomons – BOSA Acting Spokesperson – 072 299 3551