The Department of Water and Sanitation’s latest Indaba once again excluded civil society from critical discussions on our worsening water crisis.

The Department of Water and Sanitation’s latest Indaba, held on 27–28 March 2025, brought together government officials, academics, the private sector, and the media to discuss the country’s deepening water crisis. 

WaterCAN warns that these summits are becoming empty talk shops—making big promises with no actual delivery. The same was said last year, yet communities are still waiting for change.

“Locking civil society out means sabotaging real solutions,” says Dr Ferrial Adam, WaterCAN’s Executive Manager. While sewage spills, crumbling infrastructure, and neglected rural systems worsen, those working on the ground—testing water, fixing leaks, cleaning rivers—are sidelined.

No more empty rhetoric—South Africa needs action.

South Africans don’t need vague plans or PR-friendly partnerships. We need pumps repaired, polluters prosecuted, and municipalities held accountable.

“It’s like hosting a Gautrain conference without commuters or engineers,” says Dr Adam. “You can’t fix a crisis by ignoring the people dealing with it daily.”

This exclusion raises serious transparency concerns. Who sets the agenda? Who benefits from closed-door decisions? Where’s the accountability for water pollution and failing infrastructure?

If government is serious about solving the crisis, it must work with all sectors - not behind closed doors. “Real progress happens when those on the ground are heard,” says Dr Adam. “We don’t need another Indaba. We need action.”

WaterCAN is demanding urgent reform, inclusion, and accountability - because clean, safe water isn’t a privilege. It’s a right.