Dear President Cyril Ramaphosa,

Re: South Africa Must Move Beyond Reactive Governance

Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) responds with urgency to your recent State of the Nation Address (SONA), where you acknowledged that water is now the ‘single most important issue for many South Africans, from Johannesburg to smaller towns and rural areas’. While we welcome the attention this critical issue has finally received at the highest level, we must stress that this crisis has been looming for decades, with warnings repeatedly issued by experts in the engineering industry and various sectors.

CESA has long warned that South Africa’s infrastructure, including water related infrastructure, is deteriorating under years of underinvestment and deferred maintenance. We have referred to the years of neglect and underinvestment in maintenance as a national crisis. What lessons have truly been learned from previous crises and why has innovation and strategic planning remained so limited despite clear knowledge of these challenges? The root causes lie not only in funding gaps but also in outdated systems, fragmented procurement processes, and the absence of integrated, forward-thinking strategies.

As you pointed out last night, this year we celebrate 30 years of our country’s Constitution, that should guarantee every citizen access to basic services, and yet, it is deeply troubling that so many endure unreliable to no water supply – a basic human right. It raises a fundamental question: Did it truly take protests and national media coverage in Gauteng, our economic hub, to bring this crisis to the forefront of government’s agenda?

Your announcement of a National Water Crisis Committee, chaired by yourself, modeled on the National Energy Crisis Committee, signals a potentially decisive step. But who will sit on this committee? Will engineers and technical experts, who have long advocated for a seat at the decision-making table, be included? Without their expertise, there is a real risk that the committee’s work will repeat past patterns of reactive fixes instead of fostering sustainable, long-term solutions.

The National Water Crisis Committee must be more than a symbolic structure. It must have clear authority, transparent accountability, and include the technical expertise necessary to address the complex challenges of water infrastructure. We urge government to clarify how this committee will function differently from past efforts and how it will ensure swift, effective action rather than further delay.

We note the commitment made in your address to invest R156 billion in public funding for water and sanitation infrastructure over the next three years. However, history teaches us that funding alone will not solve the crisis. Crime, vandalism and corruption exacerbate infrastructure challenges, but the core problem remains aging water and sanitation systems struggling to keep pace with growing demand and climate pressures. South Africa urgently needs a shift from reactive maintenance to proactive upgrading of infrastructure with climate resilience, ensuring access to water as a basic human right. The consulting engineering sector stands ready to contribute innovative, sustainable solutions but only if empowered by streamlined processes, timely funding, and genuine partnerships between public and private sectors.

How long will we continue to patch leaks instead of fixing the pipe? Water outages reflect a local government system hampered by weak institutional capability, poor financial management, and failing service delivery. While we welcome the announcement of charges being brought against municipalities and officials who neglect their duties, talk is easy. What South Africans urgently need is collective action and true reform that leads to real, lasting improvements in water services.

CESA stands ready to partner with government and stakeholders to turn this crisis into an opportunity for lasting change. We call on you, Mr. President, to ensure engineers have a meaningful seat at the table, that the National Water Crisis Committee’s membership and mandate are transparent, and that the promises made in your address lead to real, tangible improvements for all South Africans.

As you reflected on the role of national government stepping in to address the crisis in local government, we urge that the Presidency commit to keeping the public and stakeholders regularly updated on all key infrastructure deliverables, including those related to the water crisis. South Africans should not have to wait until next year’s SONA to unpack progress on these critical issues. Transparency and consistent communication are essential to building trust and ensuring accountability as we work together to secure the nation’s water future.

You are correct, Mr. President: “This must be the year that we make South Africa stronger,” and as CESA, we have always advocated that success begins and ends with implementation and accountability.

Yours Faithfully,

Chris Campbell

CEO: Consulting Engineers South Africa