Draft Strategic Framework for Water and Sanitation

South Africa faces ongoing and well-known challenges around access to clean water and proper sanitation for all its people. The Department of Water and Sanitation is the government body responsible for making sure that water resources are managed properly and that communities across the country have access to safe water and sanitation services. From time to time, the department publishes strategic frameworks — these are overarching planning documents that set out the direction, priorities, and approach the government intends to take in managing water and sanitation over a period of time. The publication of this draft framework signals that the department is updating or replacing its existing approach, and wants public input before the framework is finalised.

This framework is likely to affect virtually every person living in South Africa, since access to clean water and sanitation is a basic need and a constitutional right. Households — particularly those in rural areas, informal settlements, and townships where water and sanitation services are often unreliable or absent — stand to be directly affected by whatever priorities and plans are set out in this framework. Local municipalities, which are responsible for delivering water and sanitation services at a community level, will need to align their own planning and spending with whatever this framework requires. Industries and agricultural businesses that depend heavily on water resources will also be affected by the strategic direction set for how water is allocated and managed. Civil society organisations, environmental groups, and water advocacy bodies have a stake in how the framework addresses sustainability, equity, and accountability in water governance.

The Department of Water and Sanitation has published a draft Strategic Framework for Water and Sanitation and is inviting members of the public to read and comment on it. The full government notice and the draft framework document are available for the public to access. The public participation process opened on 11 September 2026, and all written comments must be submitted by no later than Friday, 30 October 2026. Comments must be emailed to SFWSSComments@dws.gov.za. Members of the public or organisations who have questions or need more information can direct enquiries to Mr Siboniso Ndlovu at NdlovuS2@dws.gov.za or Ms Zamanguni Mncwabe at MncwabeZ@dws.gov.za. The source text provided does not include the detailed contents of the framework itself, so the specific provisions, targets, or policy changes it contains are not available here — readers are encouraged to access the full draft document through the official government notice to understand the substance of what is being proposed.

Water and sanitation are not optional — they are fundamental to health, dignity, and economic activity. A strategic framework shapes how billions of rands in government spending are directed, which communities get prioritised for new infrastructure, how water is shared between households, farms, and industry, and how the country prepares for droughts and climate pressures.

If the framework sets the right priorities, it could mean more households finally get reliable access to clean running water and working toilets, and that the systems managing South Africa's rivers, dams, and groundwater are better protected for future generations. If it gets it wrong — or if ordinary people do not participate in shaping it — the needs of vulnerable and underserved communities may once again be overlooked.

The public comment period is a real and meaningful opportunity for South Africans to influence government policy before it is locked in. Community members, ward committees, civil society groups, and anyone with experience of water and sanitation problems in their area are all entitled to submit comments. The deadline is 30 October 2026, so it is important not to leave it too late.