The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in South Africa have announced the creation of the Water Sector Anti-Corruption Forum. The new initiative is intended to improve efforts to detect and prevent corruption affecting South Africa’s water systems and resources.
Authorities said the forum responds to findings from 16 formal probes by the Special Investigating Unit into the water department. Nine of those inquiries have concluded, and seven are still underway, which officials say reflects an urgent need for better coordination across investigations.
Officials said the forum is tied to national strategies to protect vulnerable sectors from fraud and to strengthen integrity systems. The approach will support investigations and enforcement of anti-corruption laws, and try to prevent mismanagement of funds and resources within the water sector.
The initiative is also connected to longer-term development goals for water security and sanitation set out in national planning documents, which aim for sustainable development and universal access to clean drinking water.
Organisers said the forum brings together representatives from law enforcement, government departments, civil society groups, private companies, regulators, labour organisations, and community leaders. Authorities said this inclusive model is intended to improve accountability and close gaps that may allow wrongdoing.
Officials said the forum will track outcomes such as prosecutions, recoveries of public funds, and administrative action against individuals or firms found responsible for corruption. They said it will also try to strengthen cooperation among agencies and improve oversight through multi-stakeholder involvement.
Leonard Lekgetho, acting head of the Special Investigating Unit and chair of the forum, said the timing is important as parts of South Africa struggle with water shortages. He said, “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. Water is life, and corruption in this sector threatens not only service delivery but also the dignity and well-being of our people.”
Lekgetho added, “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.”
Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina said corruption in the sector has real impacts on supply, infrastructure development and access to water. She said, “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. … In a water‑scarce country such as South Africa, corruption is not a victimless crime. It is a direct assault on human dignity and development. Every rand lost to corruption is a rand not spent on fixing leaks, expanding supply schemes, or protecting our freshwater ecosystems.”
The new forum comes amid ongoing challenges in the country’s water sector. South Africa is under intense pressure from water shortages and stresses on both rural and urban supply systems. Government and industry sources described efforts to expand pipeline networks, reservoirs and emergency measures to address breakdowns and low reservoir levels, while analysts have pointed to ageing infrastructure, governance weaknesses, and rising demand as factors shaping water security.
