Emfuleni water supply unreliable in Sebokeng and Evaton, SAHRC finds
A human rights inquiry says low pressure, burst pipes and repair delays are leaving parts of Emfuleni without dependable water. It also found that the municipality allocated nothing from its capital budget to water and sanitation for two years.
By Staff Reporter · Published
The reliability of water supply varies substantially across Emfuleni, and significant parts of the network are vulnerable to interruptions, low pressure and breakdowns, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has found (SAHRC).
The commission released its inquiry report into water and sanitation in Gauteng on Monday 2 November. Eight of Gauteng’s nine water services authorities, Emfuleni among them, gave evidence at the inquiry, held from 19 to 21 May.
Township by township
The report lists the trouble spots the municipality itself described:
- Sebokeng: frequent low pressure in high-lying areas, limited network capacity and heavy leaks. Sebokeng is fed directly by Rand Water and has no reservoir of its own.
- Evaton: frequent low pressure or loss of supply.
- Boipatong and Bophelong: interruptions caused by pipeline failures and slow repairs.
- Sharpeville and Bedworth Park: low pressure during planned shutdowns, periods of constrained bulk supply and what the municipality called “operational glitches”.
- Vereeniging: pipe bursts in an ageing asbestos-pipe network.
- Vanderbijlpark: supply is stable under normal conditions, but power cuts affect pump stations.
Emfuleni told the inquiry it deploys 18 water tankers, with Sebokeng, Evaton, Boipatong and Bophelong given priority.
Money and losses
The commission found that Emfuleni allocated nothing from its capital budget to water and sanitation in the two years before the inquiry. It called that level of investment “not commensurate” with the known condition and needs of the system.
The Auditor-General put Emfuleni’s water losses for 2024/25 at 57.4%, but cautioned that the figure cannot be regarded as reliable because of a qualification on revenue from exchange transactions. The municipality itself told the inquiry it loses about 70%.
According to the Auditor-General’s evidence, water losses cost about R880 million, and Emfuleni has an unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure balance of about R7 billion.
Some good news
The commission found that the evidence does not at present indicate a general drinking-water safety concern in Emfuleni, though it said preventative risk management needs improving. The municipality reported that the share of water and sanitation complaints it resolves rose from 25% to an average of 70% over three financial years, which the commission called meaningful progress.
Not a bulk shortage
The SAHRC report says Gauteng’s water problems “cannot be attributed simply to an absolute shortage of water”. Rand Water made a similar point on X on Tuesday morning. It said supply interruptions and low reservoir levels “cannot be attributed to bulk supply constraints”. It pointed instead to high consumption and rising demand, infrastructure limitations, operational challenges, power interruptions at pumping stations and the time reservoirs need to recover.
The report recommends that Emfuleni approach National Treasury’s Municipal Financial Recovery Service within one month. It stresses that this is not a section 139 intervention.
Nation Watch SA has asked Emfuleni Local Municipality to comment. This story will be updated with its response.
If you live in Sebokeng, Evaton, Boipatong or Bophelong, the dry taps and weak pressure you deal with are now on an official record. The SAHRC says it will monitor whether its recommendations are carried out and will report publicly on progress.
- The SAHRC report was released on Monday 2 November, after an inquiry held from 19 to 21 May 2026.
- It names Sebokeng, Evaton, Boipatong, Bophelong, Sharpeville, Bedworth Park, Vereeniging and Vanderbijlpark as areas with specific reliability problems.
- It found that Emfuleni’s capital budget allocation for water and sanitation was R0 for two years.
- It found no general drinking-water safety concern at present.
- How Emfuleni responds to the findings.
- Whether Emfuleni will approach National Treasury within the month.
- When the planned Vaal Corporation Water Utility, set up by Emfuleni and Rand Water, will start. The report says its July 2026 start was postponed.
- SAHRC media statement, 2 November 2026: sahrc.org.za
- SAHRC full inquiry report (PDF; Emfuleni evidence in section 8.2, pages 32–37; findings in section 10.2, pages 106–111): sahrc.org.za
- SAHRC on X (Emfuleni findings): x.com
- Rand Water on X, 3 November, 09:35: post 2/5 and post 3/5
Forecasts mentioned
Official source: https://sahrc.org.za/index.php/publications/638-inquiry-report-into-the-state-of-water-and-sanitation-service-delivery-in-gauteng-2/viewdocument/638
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