In South Africa, the water utilities and systems were treated as stepchildren, by the various levels of government, affirmed Association of Water and Sanitation Institutions of South Africa (AWASI) chairperson and Rand Water chairperson Ramateu Monyokolo, on Wednesday. He was delivering a keynote address on the second day of the Enlit Africa 2026 Conference, being held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Municipalities used water and electricity as cash cows, he highlighted, adding that they did not reinvest in their water (and electricity) systems. They paid everyone on time, except for Eskom and the water boards. Municipalities currently owed water boards a total of R27-billion. One municipality alone owed R9-billion.
