Reflecting on 30 years of constitutional water rights in South Africa.
By Ramateu Monyokolo, Chairperson of Rand Water and AWSISA.
Earlier in May, South Africa marked 30 years since adopting a Constitution that redefined the relationship between the state and its people. In the water sector, this is evident in expanded access to water and sanitation, and in recognising water as a fundamental right.
In 1994, water access reflected apartheid’s deep inequalities. Millions of black South Africans, especially in rural areas and informal settlements, lacked safe water. Women and children walked long distances to often contaminated sources, while sanitation was undignified and hazardous. Infrastructure investment had been racially skewed, excluding entire communities from this basic necessity.
