SA Launches Water Sector Anti-Corruption Forum to Protect Water Resources

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) have launched the Water Sector Anti-Corruption Forum (WSACF) to strengthen the fight against corruption and safeguard South Africa's water resources.

The initiative follows findings from 16 SIU proclamations linked to the Department of Water and Sanitation, revealing widespread risks in the sector. Authorities reported that nine investigations have already been completed while seven remain ongoing, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated action against corruption in water management.

Strengthening Integrity in the Water Sector

The WSACF is anchored on Pillar Six of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS), which focuses on protecting vulnerable sectors and strengthening institutional integrity.

Using a risk-based approach, the forum will support investigations, prevention measures, and enforcement actions aimed at combating corruption and mismanagement in water governance.

The initiative also aligns with South Africa's National Development Plan (NDP) 2030, which prioritises water security and sustainable development, as well as United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), which seeks to ensure universal access to clean water and sanitation.

Whole-of-Society Approach

Authorities emphasised that the WSACF adopts the "whole-of-society" model promoted by the National Anti-Corruption Strategy. This approach encourages collaboration between the public sector, private sector, civil society, and academia to prevent and combat corruption.

By integrating multiple stakeholders into a coordinated framework, the forum aims to strengthen transparency, accountability, and oversight in the water sector.

Key Objectives of the Forum

The Water Sector Anti-Corruption Forum will focus on several priority areas, including:

• Supporting anti-corruption initiatives in the water sector

• Strengthening collaboration between stakeholders to detect and prevent corruption

• Coordinating law enforcement efforts to improve investigative capacity

• Implementing preventative systems to reduce fraud and corruption risks

The forum will also pursue tangible outcomes such as criminal prosecutions, civil recoveries, and administrative sanctions against wrongdoing, while introducing stronger preventative controls.

In addition, the WSACF aims to enhance multi-stakeholder oversight, ensuring that anti-corruption agencies themselves remain transparent and accountable.

Broad Coalition of Stakeholders

The forum brings together a wide coalition of partners from across society. These include law enforcement agencies, Chapter 9 institutions, civil society organisations, private sector representatives, government departments, and municipalities.

Other participants include regulatory bodies, organised labour, traditional and religious leaders, and environmental and water conservation groups.

Officials said the collaborative structure will help close accountability gaps and implement measurable prevention strategies across the water sector.

Building on Sector-Specific Anti-Corruption Forums

The WSACF builds on previous sector-focused anti-corruption initiatives launched in recent years, including:

• Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum (2019)

• Infrastructure and Built Environment Anti-Corruption Forum (2021)

• Local Government Anti-Corruption Forum (2022)

• Border Management and Immigration Anti-Corruption Forum (2025)

Authorities believe the water sector forum will play a similarly critical role in addressing systemic corruption risks.

Water Security and Public Trust

Acting Head of the SIU and Chairperson of the WSACF, Leonard Lekgetho, said the forum comes at a critical time as many parts of South Africa continue to face water shortages.

"Water affects every living being, making it imperative for us to make fighting corruption in the sector a collective effort. The launch of the Water Sector Anti-Corruption Forum is a decisive step in protecting one of our nation's most precious resources," he said.

Lekgetho stressed that corruption in the water sector undermines service delivery and threatens public welfare.

"Through this forum, we are sending a clear message: corruption will not be tolerated, and those who undermine the integrity of our water systems will face the full might of the law."

Minister Calls for Stronger Accountability

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina also emphasised the need for proactive measures to protect the country's water infrastructure and governance systems.

"When corruption infiltrates the water sector, it does not simply distort procurement processes or inflate invoices. It dries up taps, delays infrastructure, contaminates rivers, and erodes public trust," she said.

Majodina warned that in a water-scarce country like South Africa, corruption directly undermines development and human dignity.

"Every rand lost to corruption is a rand not spent on fixing leaks, expanding supply schemes, or protecting our freshwater ecosystems," she added.

The launch of the WSACF is expected to strengthen accountability, improve governance, and protect critical water resources, ensuring that South Africa's water systems are managed transparently and sustainably.