South Africa has failed to deliver access to enough water for millions – a new approach is needed

By Tracy Ledger

South Africa is one of only 52 countries that guarantee access to water as a human right. “Access” from a human rights perspective means that water is physically accessible, clean and safe for consumption, and affordable. Section 27 of the country’s constitution stipulates that everyone has the right to access sufficient water.

But South Africa is not doing well on meeting the standards of a full human rights approach to water access. In a recent paper, I and my colleagues at the Public Affairs Research Institute’s Just Transition Programme set out the extent of this failure, and mapped out what needs to be done to rectify the situation.

The Just Transition Programme aims to contribute to a successful climate transition that prioritises social justice, equity and poverty reduction.

Part of our research method is ethnography – spending time in communities struggling to access water. We do this