‘Silence the Guns and Open the Taps’: Majodina Pushes for Massive Water Investment

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has placed water security at the centre of Africa's development agenda, warning that the continent cannot achieve meaningful economic growth without urgent and large-scale investment in water infrastructure.

"We cannot have Africa developing economically when there is no water," Majodina said during a media doorstep interview on the sidelines of the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of State and Government, held from 14–15 February in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

High-Level Push for Water Financing

On the second day of the summit, Majodina hosted a side event titled 'High-Level Leaders Session on Water Investment', in collaboration with the AU High-Level Panel and sponsored by the Association of Water and Sanitation Institutions in South Africa (AWSISA).

The session brought together ministers, development partners, financiers and private sector representatives to assess progress since the inaugural Water Investment Summit held in Cape Town in August 2025.

Majodina said Africa faces a massive infrastructure backlog that threatens industrialisation, job creation and improved living standards.

"The backlog is huge. We need socio-economic development. We need to ensure that livelihoods are sustained as expected. But our people are suffering when it comes to water," she said.

$10–12 Billion Pledged at Cape Town Summit

The Cape Town Water Investment Summit marked a major milestone in mobilising resources for the sector.

According to Majodina:

• Investors committed between $10 billion and $12 billion toward water infrastructure development.

• 38 out of 54 African countries submitted bankable water project proposals to attract financing.

"We came up with valuable projects from 38 countries that can be funded. Today, we are here to give a progress report on how far we are in implementing that," she said.

'Silence the Guns and Open the Taps'

In a pointed call linking development to peace and stability, Majodina said water security must be prioritised alongside security initiatives.

"Everyone talks about silencing the guns. Silence the guns and open the taps. That is where we are coming from. Silence the guns, open the taps."

She argued that sustainable water systems can reduce instability, support livelihoods and strengthen regional cooperation, particularly in transboundary river basins.

Private Sector and Mining Industry Must Step Up

Majodina stressed that public finances alone will not be sufficient to close Africa's water infrastructure funding gap.

"Let each country commit. Let the private sector commit to water infrastructure investment," she said.

She also called on the mining sector to play a stronger role in supporting sustainable water systems across the continent.

"We have a lot of mines across the continent operating in our countries, but they are not committing enough in terms of funding water infrastructure."

South Africa's Urban Infrastructure Strain

Drawing from South Africa's experience, Majodina cited the City of Johannesburg as an example of infrastructure under pressure from rapid urbanisation and economic expansion.

"When you talk about Johannesburg, you talk about the 'United Nations of Africa'. Everybody goes there. The economy is growing, the population is growing, but the infrastructure can no longer cope," she said.

Water at the Centre of Africa's Development Agenda

Majodina also highlighted the upcoming United Nations Water Conference, scheduled for 2–4 December 2026 in the United Arab Emirates, co-hosted by Senegal and the UAE.

The conference aims to accelerate implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), strengthen global water governance and elevate water-related issues on the international agenda.

"As leaders, we must move from declarations to implementation. Water must be at the centre of Africa's development agenda," Majodina said.

The Minister's message at the AU Summit signals a renewed push to transform water investment from a policy aspiration into a continent-wide implementation drive — positioning water security as foundational to economic growth, peace and long-term prosperity in Africa.