Inside South Africa’s New Mafia: The Water Tanker Syndicates Exploiting the Crisis

South Africa is facing a severe water crisis, and a new breed of criminal syndicates, dubbed the “water mafia,” is making the situation even worse. These groups have reportedly expanded from KwaZulu-Natal to Gauteng, where frequent water shortages are now exacerbated by criminal activities manipulating water supply and demand.

Water Mafias: A Growing Criminal Syndicate

The so-called “tanker mafia” operates by manipulating the water supply system to secure tenders, inflate water demand, and charge consumers exorbitant prices for water. Some syndicates go as far as sabotaging critical infrastructure, such as pipelines and transformers, to create artificial shortages and make it easier to sell water at inflated prices.

Professor Richard Meissner, a researcher from the University of South Africa (UNISA), recently raised alarms about the growing presence of these criminal groups. In an interview with Newzroom Afrika, he explained how these mafias deliberately cause water shortages by vandalizing infrastructure. This not only worsens the water access challenges but also opens the door for these groups to profit from the crisis.

Sabotage and Price Gouging

In a statement on March 27, Meissner detailed the tactics used by these syndicates:

• Stealing transformers that power pumping stations, causing water shortages in communities.

• Vandalizing pipelines to disrupt the regular flow of water.

• Infiltrating local communities to sell water at highly inflated prices—sometimes R50 for 210 litres.

He highlighted that these syndicates are now more organized, making it increasingly difficult for authorities to stem the tide of exploitation. Once they disrupt supply, they are quick to secure contracts from local municipalities to provide water services at outrageous costs.

The Water Crisis Deepens

The country’s water crisis is compounded by aging infrastructure, vandalism, and organised criminal activities. President Cyril Ramaphosa, addressing the National Water and Sanitation Indaba, acknowledged the scale of the crisis and the role of criminal syndicates in worsening the situation.

He said, “We are still very much a long way off from achieving clean water and sanitation for all,” pointing to issues such as poor maintenance of water systems, illegal connections, and water supply manipulation by criminal gangs.

Illegal Water Tapping and Wastewater Systems

These syndicates have expanded beyond water tankers. Dr. Sean Phillips, Director-General of the Department of Water and Sanitation, revealed that some groups are now tapping into municipal water systems illegally, filling their tankers for free and reselling the water at massive markups. For example, a company might charge R600 to R800 for 5,000 litres of water, despite the actual municipal cost being only R40 to R120.

Call to Action

As South Africa’s water supply struggles to meet the needs of its citizens, the criminal “water mafia” continues to profit from scarcity, with authorities under increasing pressure to tackle this organised crime. Immediate action is needed to ensure water remains accessible and affordable to all South Africans.

The problem is far from resolved, and without decisive intervention, the water mafias could continue to hold the country’s most vital resource hostage.

{Source African Insider}

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