COSATU is deeply disappointed by President Ramaphosa’s assenting to the National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency SOC Limited Bill

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is deeply disappointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s assenting to the National Water Resources Infrastructure Agency SOC Limited Bill into law.

South Africa is a water scarce country.  It is critical it be managed effectively and efficiently and the constitutional right to water upheld.  We are concerned about the condition of our water infrastructure, the large amounts of water lost to leaks and the backlog in infrastructure investments.  We need to drastically change how we consume water as households, industries, agriculture and mining.  A shift towards conservation and recycling is long overdue.

The Act provides for a single national government institution to manage our water infrastructure and resources.  COSATU remains concerned by this single national government organ being a public entity and not located within the public service, in particular the Department of Water and Sanitation. 

The Federation is deeply opposed to the creation of agencies when we should be strengthening the public service.  Issues that undermine service delivery within the public service, e.g. vacancies, budget cuts, mismanagement, unreliable internet connection, dilapidated public works properties, corruption etc. must be dealt with and not deflected, diverted or swept under the carpet. 

Creating an entity or agency fragments the state, duplicates mandates, creates additional layers of management and weakens executive authority.  Workers are opposed to the agencification of the state as these entities fall outside of the state’s collective bargaining processes and more importantly, undermine collective bargaining processes.

The Minister of Finance recently disclosed to Parliament that there are now 5 303 entities and agencies within the state.  COSATU will be seeking an engagement with government on a framework to ensure public service regulations and conditions of services as well as collective bargaining processes are extended to its entities and agencies and a roadmap to ensure their integration into the public service framework is set.

Issued by COSATU

For further information please contact:

Matthew Parks(COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator)

Cell: 082 785 0687

Email: matthew@cosatu.org.za