EXAMINATION OF THE CAPACITY OF LIMPOPO WATER SERVICES AUTHORITIES IN PROVIDING ACCESS TO CLEAN DRINKING WATER AND DECENT SANITATION By KGOSHI KGASHANE LUCAS PILUSA (STUDENT No. 201406085) SUBMITTED IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE DOCTOR OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION In the FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT AND COMMERCE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION At the UNIVERSITY OF FORT HARE SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR M.H. KANYANE COMPLETED 16 APRIL 2018 DECLARATION I, Kgoshi Kgashane Lucas Pilusa, Student Number 201406085, hereby declare that the thesis titled “Examination of the capacity of Limpopo Water Services Authorities in providing access to clean drinking water and decent sanitation”, submitted to the University of Fort Hare for the degree DPhil in Public Administration, has not previously been submitted to any other university or institution. It is my own work in design and execution. Furthermore, the references used or quoted herein have been duly acknowledged. _______________ K.K.L. PILUSA DATE 23 April 2019 i DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my late Father and brother, Masilo William Pilusa and Thabo Eric Pilusa, who have passed on and cannot share the joy of my accomplishment. Their love was amazing, magnificent and inspirational. I am still feeling the vacuum of their departure. May their loving souls rest in eternal amity. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would have been a futile exercise were it not for the guidance and aid of the Lord God Almighty, the creator of Heaven and Earth and the one and only Shepherd of humankind. I am indebted to many people for their contribution towards the execution of this study, many of whom are not mentioned by name due to the constraints of space. Thank you all for dedicating your time to assist me. To my supervisor, Professor Modimowabarwa Kanyane, I wish to express my sincere gratitude for your assistance in moulding my research and for your keen insights and attention to detail. I am particularly thankful for your academic leadership and for keeping me focused throughout the study. Your pertinent suggestions and knowledge of the broader topic contributed substantially towards improving the overall quality and the depth of the thesis. May the good Lord continue to bless you and your family. I am indebted to my colleagues within the Office of the Municipal Manager at Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality, especially my boss Dr S.S. Sebashe, with whom I was able to discuss many of my ideas. My gratitude goes to all members of the Potters Christian Church, which I am pastoring, for their undivided support and encouragement. I further wish to state my appreciation for the inputs received from Dr M.M. Ndlovu, Mr and Mrs Shipalana, and my brother Advocate B.L. Pilusa. My profound thanks go to my wife, Portia Tsakani Pilusa, for standing by me throughout my academic endeavours and for being a constant source of inspiration. A special mention goes to my children, Tumelo, Mpho and Refiloe, for their patience with me throughout this study. iii ABSTRACT This study analysed the capacity of Limpopo Water Services Authorities in providing access to clean drinking water and decent sanitation. The study raised issues of the state of access to clean drinkable water and decent sanitation through the prism of the municipality and the community. Arguably, the provision of water and sanitation services collapsed, at the level of local government, during the Jacob Zuma administration, because of the escalation of violent service delivery protests due to poor administration and management. It was discovered that all Water Services Authorities owe the Department of Water Affairs exorbitant amounts of money, well into the range of millions of Rands. This prompted the Water Boards to issue threats that they would limit the provision of bulk water. Such austerity measures compromised citizens who regularly pay for the services provided; hence, it sparked violent protests. One of the major drawbacks of the current institutional arrangements arose from the overlapping mandates of the Department of Water Affairs, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Water Services Authorities, Local Municipalities and the Department of Human Settlements. Consequently, the structural design of the intergovernmental system should enforce synergy between all water and sanitation units. The reports produced by all units must be scrutinised, debated and followed through. The study was anchored in a qualitative research design, grounded in the descriptive approach. Interviews were conducted to acquire information from politicians, administrators and community members. It was discovered that there were no skilled personnel in Water Services Authorities and Water Service Providers and, as such, institutional capacity was in disarray. More importantly, during the interviews conducted for this study, it surfaced that financial mismanagement in all municipalities is conspicuously unacceptable, especially unauthorised, irregular and fruitless expenditures. These situations prevailed under the supervision of the well-established oversight institutions that were tasked to enhance the monitoring and evaluation for good governance, such as The Auditor General of South Africa, the Human Rights Commission and the Public Protector. Professionalism and quality performance remain at a low point, with no improvement in service provision. Therefore, radical enforcement of monitoring and evaluation through Auditor General of South Africa, Human Rights Commission and Public Protector, amongst others, is critical to any attempt to disrupt the status iv quo. In addition, the appointment of the heads of these oversight institutions must be removed from the Presidency and be made by the Chief Justice. The encounters confronting Water Services Authorities and Water Service Providers are complex and may not be resolved by the government alone, without the participation of the private sector and other actors such as Civil Society Organisations, the business community and public entities. Therefore, an area for further research could be an examination of attempts to introduce effective integrated water and sanitation governance structures, and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, under robust public scrutiny in order to inform immediate and long-term interventions. v ACRONYMS AGSA Auditor General of South Africa AMCOW African Minister’s Council on Water ASGISA Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa AWF African Water Facility AWW Africa Water Week CAP Common African Position COGTA Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs CSO Civil Society Organisation DORA Division of Revenue Act DWA Department of Water Affairs DWAF Department of Water Affairs and Forestry DWS Department of Water and Sanitation EU European Union FBS Free Basic Services FTYIP First Ten-Year Implementation Plan GDP Gross Domestic Product GEAR Growth, Employment and Redistribution GMRDC Govan Mbeki Research and Development Centre HRC Human Rights Commission IDP Integrated Development Plan IGR Inter-Governmental Relations IMESA Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa IMFO Institute of Municipal Financial Officers IPAP Industrial Policy Action Plan IWRM Integrated Water Resources Management JIPSA Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition JMP Joint Monitoring Programme LDP Limpopo Development Plan LED Local Economic Development vi LEDET Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism LGDS Limpopo Growth and Development Strategy MDGs Millennium Developmental Goals MIG Municipal Infrastructure Grant MIP Municipal Infrastructure Programme MSIG Municipal Systems Improvement Grant MTSF Medium Term Strategic Framework NDP National Development Plan NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NGP New Growth Path NPC National Planning Commission NWP National Water Policy ODA Official Development Assistance OWG Open Working Group PP Public Protector RDP Reconstruction and Development Programme RHIP Rural Household Infrastructure Programme SALGA South African Local Government Association SANGOCO South African Non-Governmental Organisation Coalition SDA Service Delivery Approach SDGs Sustainable Developmental Goals SDM Service Delivery Model SFfWS Strategic Framework for Water Services SLA Service Level Agreement SWMP Storm Water Management Plan UN United Nations UNICEF United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund WASH Water, Sanitation and Hygiene WHO World Health Organisation WISA Water Institute of Southern Africa vii WSA Water Services Authority WSP Water Service Provider VIP Ventilated Improved Pit viii TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ........................................................................................................................ i DEDICATION ........................................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................. iv ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................ vi CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................................................ 1 INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL ORIENTATION TO THE STUDY .............................. 1 1. ........................................................................................................................................