Attention: Editors and Reporters
Monday, 19 February 2024
Access to water is a fundamental human right which is enshrined in section 27(1) (b) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Water has the capacity to create peace and has the equal potential to spark conflict and social unrest. In South Africa, several protest-related events have occurred due to water scarcity and water inequality. On 22 March 2024, South Africa will join the world in commemorating World Water Day under the global theme “Leveraging water for peace”. This theme is important in the South African context which is marred by high levels of deteriorating water and wastewater infrastructure. The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) urges the South African government to pay urgent attention to this dire state of water resource management and distribution which if not urgently addressed may lead to social unrest and destabilise peace in the country.
In line with its mandate of promoting human rights and inculcating a culture of human rights, the SAHRC has developed an animated educational video. The animated educational video outlines the roles and responsibilities of Water Services Authorities (WSAs) in the provision of access to water. The animated educational video further spells out the responsibilities of the provincial and national government in supporting WSAs to deliver on the right of access to water. The video also shares information on the institutions which can serve as avenues for lodging complaints on allegations of violations of the right to have access to water.
The link to the animated educational video is available on the SAHRC YouTube page at https://youtu.be/KDEuTqBUhvY?si=9diThiuoM0RVkHF1
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