The DA is alarmed by the rates paid to water-board chairs and members to attend meetings, while taps sit dry across the country.
Notably, in 2023/24:
– The Chair of uMngeni-uThukela earned R109 500 per meeting, while another member earned R54 000;
– The Chair of the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority earned R120 300 per meeting;
– The Chair of Lepelle Northern Water earned R103 600 per meeting, with the Chairs of Amatola Water and Magalies Water earning R77 833 and R70 831, respectively.
While the Department argues that these amounts are in line with approved policies, that does not make them right or fair to the millions of South Africans currently without basic services.
We need every possible cent spent on ensuring municipalities can fulfil the basics: repairing leaks, managing pressure, maintaining reservoirs and pump stations, metering and billing correctly, and paying their bulk-water accounts.
We will pursue transparency and accountability on board fees. But we will keep the spotlight squarely on municipal turnaround, because that is where service failures are cutting off water to paying residents.
The DA calls for:
1. Full transparency now: The Department must publish each entity’s fee policy, per-meeting rates, add-ons (travel/prep/committees), attendance, and totals for 2023/24.
2. Hard caps and tighter rules: Annual caps on fees; no payments for non-board ceremonial events; and clear prohibitions against “fee creep”.
3. Independent review: National Treasury and the Auditor-General (AGSA) to benchmark water-sector board remuneration against comparable SOEs, with findings tabled to Parliament.
4. Link pay to performance: Tie board remuneration to measurable outcomes – governance stability, clean audits, reductions in non-revenue water (NRW), improved collections, and infrastructure recovery.
5. Distressed-entity relief: Consider temporary downward adjustments to fee scales at financially distressed entities until turnaround targets are met.
6. Municipal turnaround first: Immediate municipal leak-repair and pressure-management blitzes, metering and revenue recovery, and settlement of arrears to water boards to protect bulk-water security.
These board fees are very difficult to justify given the state of our water crisis. The DA will press the Minister and each board in Committee for a transparent review and tighter controls on remuneration – while demanding urgent municipal action to restore reliable water to residents.