The number of consumer units receiving services from municipalities increased between 2014 and 2015.

The highest percentage increase from 2014 to 2015 in the provision of services was recorded in solid waste management (5.3%), followed by electricity (4.3%), sewerage and sanitation (4.2%), and water (2.5%).

This is according to the recently released Non-financial census of municipalities (NFCM) for the year ended 30 June 2015 by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA).

 

Basic services

The provision of basic water increased by 2.5% nationally between 2014 and 2015.

Water: The highest provincial increases for the provision of water were recorded in Western Cape (5%) and Mpumalanga (3.1%) while the lowest increase was recorded in Gauteng (1.3%).

Electricity: The highest provincial increases were recorded in Mpumalanga (10.7%) and Gauteng (5.3%) while Limpopo recorded the lowest increase (1.6%).

Sewerage and sanitation: The highest provincial increases were recorded in Mpumalanga (13.9%), Eastern Cape (5.7%), whereas the lowest increase was shown in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng (2.1% respectively).

Solid waste management: the highest provincial increase was recorded in Mpumalanga (15.4%), Limpopo recorded the second highest increase at (9%) while Eastern Cape recorded the lowest increase at 1.3%.

 

Indigent households

In 2000, Cabinet announced government`s plan to roll out a free basic services programme to poor (or indigent) households. There were 3.6 million indigent households in 2015, as identified by municipalities.

Out of this, 2.4 million (67.8%) benefited from the indigent support system for water, while 2.2 million (62.8%) benefited from free basic electricity provided by municipalities.

The report also revealed that 2.1 million (58.7%) indigent households received free sewerage and sanitation while 2.1 million (57.6%) benefited from solid waste management.

The report further recorded fluctuations in the free basic services provided to indigent households:

• 83 796 fewer consumers received water in 2015 compared to 2014
• 124 147 more consumers received basic electricity in 2015 compared to 2014
• 53 329 more consumers received basic solid waste management services in 2014 compared to 2015
• 23 444 fewer consumers received basic sewerage and sanitation in 2015 than in 2014

 

Bucket toilets

The report shows that there has been a decrease in the number of bucket toilets supplied by municipalities, from 85 718 in 2014 to 80 119 in 2015.

Major decreases in the number of bucket toilets provided by municipalities were recorded in Gauteng (100%), Mpumalanga (98%), Eastern Cape (18%) and Western Cape (16%). However, Free State reflected an increase (10%) over the same period.