Cape Town – Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has revealed that millions of rands have been paid to contractors for water infrastructure projects that remain incomplete.
Speaking on the sidelines of the ANC’s special National Executive Committee meeting in Boksburg on Saturday, Majodina acknowledged that numerous government-contracted municipal water projects have either been delayed or left unfinished, leaving communities still without access to clean and reliable water.
“There are projects that are incomplete… we have intervened and reclaimed those funds,” she said. In one example, Majodina said a water treatment plant originally budgeted at R13 million now requires R24 million to complete due to delays and cost escalations.
Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has condemned the rise of “water mafias” in the North West, accusing extortion groups of stalling key projects by demanding payoffs from contractors. She said her department is working with police to tackle the criminal networks,… pic.twitter.com/JVk9Z3kXir
— MDN NEWS (@MDNnewss) September 13, 2025
As reported by EWN, Majodina attributed South Africa’s water supply challenges in part to these incomplete projects.
She told media on the sidelines of the ANC’s National Executive Committee meeting in Boksburg that several municipalities have ongoing water infrastructure projects that have not been completed despite payments already made.
Majodina called on law enforcement including the SAPS to take action against criminal elements she says are sabotaging water delivery. She described these groups as part of what she calls the “water mafia,” saying they extort contractors and derail progress on water infrastructure works, reported IOL.
Among specific infrastructure failures she pointed to was the Rooiwal wastewater treatment plant in the City of Tshwane. She said delays at that facility meant that areas like Hammanskraal continue to suffer from contaminated water supply.
Majodina also admitted there has been inadequate communication from local authorities to communities when maintenance or outages occur. “When maintenance is done, people aren’t informed. That’s part of the crisis,” she said.
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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
