Water and sanitation

Water and sanitation

The South African Human Rights Commission 2014 Report on Right to Access Sufficient Water and Decent Sanitation stated that “those areas which lack water and sanitation mirror apartheid spatial geography. Former homelands, townships and informal settlements are the areas in which communities and schools, who are black and poor, predominantly do not enjoy these rights and many others. The lack of access to sanitation has an impact on other rights including rights to dignity, education, health, safety and the environment.”

Stats SA data show that 15.2 million households, now have access to water compared to 2011 and just over 10.3 million households have access to a flush toilet – almost double compared to statistics recorded in 2001.

Efforts to improve access has been made more difficult as the country faces one of its worst droughts in decades, which has negatively affected many sectors including water provision, agriculture and the economy as a whole. In addition, the drought has had a severe impact on the vulnerable groups in South Africa in terms of food insecurity and escalating food prices. According to data published in February, the cost of a 22 item basic food basket increased by ± R56 (+10.86%) in nominal terms from R510 to R566 over the past 12 months. It is projected that South Africa will need to import an estimated 5 million tons of maize between May 2016 and April 2017, which will weigh heavily on the trade deficit. Parliament urged the Department of Water and Sanitation to have plans in place to enhance its water management efforts and reduce the impact of the drought. The Department of Social Development has also been asked to step up its efforts to assist communities and individuals.