South Africa's Water Crisis: A Lesson for Zambia's Resources
While Zambia watches its neighbour struggle, South Africa's water story is a stark warning: having good laws on paper means nothing if you can't deliver for the people. Three million South Africans still lack clean running water, and 14 million have no flushing toilets, three decades after the end of apartheid.
This is not a story about drought or climate change alone. It is a story about broken promises, bureaucratic rot, and foreign-funded elites who write fancy policies while ordinary people suffer. As Zambians, we must ask ourselves: could this happen here?
What is really blocking water access in South Africa?
Environmental researchers interviewed 35 people from government, NGOs, agriculture, mining, and water services. They also surveyed households about unreliable supplies. Their conclusion? The problem is not the law. The National Water Act of 1998 was praised as progressive and ambitious. It promised water for all. But the promise remains largely unmet.
The real culprits are corruption, weak political will, government departments that refuse to cooperate, and a severe lack of skilled workers. Sound familiar? Too much bureaucracy and tick-box exercises. As one insider put it bluntly: regulations and plans exist in vain if they are not implemented.
Zambia must not repeat the same mistakes
South Africa extended pipelines to 95% of households by 2018, but only 65% had reliable water. Poorer and rural areas suffered most. Meanwhile, the maintenance backlog is estimated at R400 billion (about US$25 billion), yet only R26 billion (US$1.6 billion) has been budgeted. That is a recipe for collapse.
In Zambia, we know the same pattern. Foreign consultants fly in, write reports, collect their fees, and leave. Our people are left with ageing treatment plants and broken pipes. We must prioritise our own people, not international praise.
Who really controls the water decisions?
The research found that marginalised communities are excluded from planning. Rural communities and small farmers have less access to infrastructure, information, and decision-making than large farms and mining companies. One government official admitted: the marginalised only get involved once the decision has been made.
Water pipes run through rural communities without supplying them. Commercial users have better access to money, technology, and established water rights. This is not justice. This is exploitation dressed up as development.
What Zambia can learn from South Africa's failures
First, we must hold our government accountable for maintaining infrastructure. Second, we must enforce water rules consistently, not just for the powerful. Third, we must invest in Zambian engineers and skilled workers, not depend on foreign expertise.
Decisions about water must be transparent. Communities must have a meaningful voice, not just be consulted after decisions are made. As one NGO representative said: the best policy is localised, per city, per town, with every department on one platform to discuss how to protect the water resource.
Water is a national security issue for Zambia
Water affects everything: health, jobs, food production, and our natural environment. If we fail to manage our water resources, we fail our nation. We cannot allow foreign interests or corrupt elites to control our most precious resource.
Zambia must take control of its water. We must build our own capacity, protect our resources, and ensure every Zambian has access to clean water. This is not just about development. It is about sovereignty. It is about putting Zambia first.
South Africa's crisis is a warning. Let us not be the next cautionary tale. Let us learn, adapt, and build a water system that serves Zambians first and always.