The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) have stepped up the fight against corruption in the water sector with the official launch of the Water Sector Anti-Corruption Forum (WSACF) on March 5.

The establishment of the forum started with an inaugural meeting in May 2025 where the key aims were outlined and the required steps were mapped out.

While significant progress has been made since, much work still needs be done to eradicate entrenched corruption and fraud in what is arguably the country’s most vulnerable sector.

Water-scarce South Africa already faces structural constraints, such as limited rainfall, climate variability, ageing infrastructure and rising demand, Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina said during the official launch in Pretoria.

Majodina pointed out that every rand lost to corruption is a rand not spent on repairing leaks, upgrading treatment works, expanding supply schemes to underserved communities or protecting freshwater ecosystems.

A high-level corruption risk assessment, undertaken by the SIU to identify and prioritise vulnerable sectors, confirmed that the water sector is among the most vulnerable, said SIU acting head and WSACF chairperson Leonard Lekgetho.

The establishment of the WSACF comes on the back of 16 SIU proclamations related to the DWS – which paved the way for nine investigations which have now been completed and seven still active – revealing an urgent need for a coordinated anticorruption response in water management.

“Our investigations highlight the need for systemic reforms, such as a formal supplier database with strict compliance checks; mandatory conflict-of-interest declarations; stronger oversight of tender committees; regular communication of anticorruption laws; and a ban on entities linked to officials doing business with the government,” he continued.

Majodina said the establishment of specialised anticorruption bodies, lifestyle audits, digital procurement reforms and strengthened internal controls reflect a State that is “learning” and “correcting and strengthening” its anticorruption measures.

“We are not waiting for the crisis to overwhelm us. We are acting decisively to prevent, detect and enforce the law. These actions should give South Africans confidence that government is not retreating from the fight. We are intensifying it.”

Corruption in the water sector manifests in many forms, including inflated contracts and collusive tendering, manipulation of supply chains, diversion of maintenance funds, criminal syndicates that extort contractors and disrupt construction sites, and illegal connections that weaken municipal finances.

Besides these trends, the SIU’s assessment also flagged irregular appointments, payments for work never performed, fraudulent claims and overpricing, and the disregarding and manipulation of procurement rules.

Through its investigations into water-sector corruption, the SIU has recovered R569-million in cash and assets, prevented R717-million in potential losses, set aside contracts worth R1.1-billion, referred 270 matters for prosecution, and initiated civil litigation worth R6.2-billion.

This shows that the fight against corruption is gaining momentum across vulnerable high-risk sectors, with the WSACF building on the proven success of other sector-specific anticorruption forums, including the Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum, launched in October 2019; the Infrastructure and Built Environment Anti-Corruption Forum, launched in May 2021; the Local Government Anti-Corruption Forum, launched in September 2022; and the Border Management and Immigration Anti-Corruption Forum, launched in March 2025.

The SIU has also developed the National Corruption Risk and Prevention Framework, now at an advanced stage, following consultations with provinces, government clusters, departments and Chapter 9 institutions. Once approved, the framework will further assist the SIU in implementing prevention initiatives.

The framework’s key elements include risk assessments and data analytics, vetting and screening of employees and suppliers, lifestyle audits, education and awareness campaigns, conflict-of-interest management, and the use of AI and other technologies.

While anticorruption efforts have been reactive traditionally, relying on whistleblowing and audits, Lekgetho said the focus is now shifting to prevention, with consequence management emanating from investigations remaining an important pillar.

Anchored in Pillar Six of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NATS), the WSACF will, through the adoption of a risk-based approach, drive investigation, prevention and enforcement measures to safeguard South Africa’s water resources.