Deputy water and sanitation minister David Mahlobo has pledged action against water infrastructure sabotage and criminal syndicates in the sector.
He said water mafias are undermining service delivery and violating the constitutional right to water in vulnerable communities.
Speaking during a webinar hosted by the South African 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, are 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 has become widespread and government is battling the theft of critical components such as pipes, cables and meters.