Ramaphosa Exposes ‘Water Mafia’: Criminals Sabotaging Taps to Sell Water

President Cyril Ramaphosa has sounded the alarm on a disturbing criminal enterprise exploiting South Africa’s water crisis—a so-called “water mafia” that deliberately sabotages infrastructure to sell water at inflated prices.

Speaking at the Water and Sanitation Indaba in Midrand, Ramaphosa revealed that unscrupulous businesspeople are cutting municipal water lines to create artificial shortages, forcing communities to rely on their private water trucking services.

How the ‘Water Mafia’ Operates

• Deliberate Sabotage: “Henchmen” allegedly damage pipelines to create supply failures.
• Profit from Crisis: Communities left without tap water must buy from expensive private suppliers.
• No Dignity in Queues: Ramaphosa condemned the practice, saying, “There’s no dignity for our people to stand alongside the street tapping water from a truck while someone profits.”

South Africa’s Wider Water Crisis

The sabotage is just one symptom of a deeper crisis:

• 47.4% of water is lost to leaks (Dept. of Water and Sanitation data).
• Aging infrastructure, vandalism, and mismanagement worsen shortages.
• Ranked among the top 25 most water-stressed nations, SA struggles to meet demand.

Government’s Emergency Plan

Ramaphosa declared the situation a national emergency, announcing urgent reforms:
Slash water license processing from 3 years to 90 days.
Launch a National Water Resource Infrastructure Agency.
Introduce stricter regulations via the Water Services Amendment Bill.
Crack down on corruption in water projects.

“When we take a decision, we must say when it will be implemented—not if,” he stressed.

A Matter of Survival

The president issued a grim reminder: “We can survive without food for a time—but without water, there is no life.”

What’s Next?
With drought and sabotage crippling supply, the government’s ability to act swiftly will determine whether millions of South Africans keep their taps flowing—or fall prey to the water cartels.

{Source The Citizen}

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