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Equity dimensions of the Nelson Mandela Bay water crisis and the implementing context as enabler or barrier for upatake of translatable lessons from the Cape Town water crisis

O.N. Odume, C. Murata, K. Mgaba, J. Alexander, T. Masilela, V. Mlonzi, C. Matomane, N. Mqoqi, S. Kinzela, S. Mjuleni

Sponsor: Water Research Commission 
Collaborators: O. Barreteau (Montpellier University), E. Mack (Michigan State University)

April 2023–March 2025

This project considers the multiple dimensions of water access and equity when it comes to water security in Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB). Considering the very serious drought the Metro experienced, the project also seeks to understand if any lessons learnt from the Cape Town water crisis might be applicable to the Nelson Mandela Bay context, as both cities faced Day Zero scenarios.  

Climate change means that prolonged droughts are becoming an increasingly common feature in South Africa and are a major cause for concern across municipalities, particularly those that do not have ready access to abundant water sources. The Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan area was in the grip of a severe drought between 2017 and 2023. While time and effort were spent diversifying water sources, the extensive drought, failing water infrastructure and ongoing municipal dysfunction in the Metro meant that residents were severely affected, and water security remains a central concern for all.  

Data is being collected for the project from a variety of sources: quantitative surveys to qualitative interviews; participatory research tools such as a water equity game that has been especially designed around the NMB ecosystem; focus group discussions, and participatory mapping. Fieldwork takes place across a variety of different interest groups, spatially and demographically mapped across the Metro to ensure adequate representation.  Research for the project is designed to have an iterative participatory backbone, with participatory engagement via a Living Lab – a social engagement platform that collaboratively explores the various themes which emerge from the research. Participants from the Living Lab have also become involved in the data-collection process and form a vital part of grounding the project at a grassroots level, as well as incorporating engagement with qualified experts actively responsible for water provision and services in the Metro. The study is ongoing, with further research planned to investigate the governance and implementation environment that continues to affect water security in the Metro, and potential ways in which this might be supported and improved.

Water quality remains a concern after several health scares. Municipal water is regularly monitored, but freshwater in catchments is severely impacted. People fishing along the Swartkops River report that fish caught in particular areas along the river are inedible, as they are heavily affected by pollution from heavy metal contaminants, untreated sewage, and industrial effluent which flows into the river. 

Over and above the devastating effects of the eight-year drought, service delivery to Metro residents, businesses and social service institutions is increasingly hampered by long-term political instability and municipal dysfunction. The systemic problems with governance and municipal mismanagement in the Metro contribute towards water insecurity that is felt most strongly by vulnerable groups.  

Those who need access to water and sanitation services the most currently hold the shortest end of the stick, especially when it comes to visible service delivery and relief services, for example, water trucks, and fixing water and sewage leaks. Lower income areas and informal settlements have a greater need for alternative water provision, and the limited supply means that water becomes a scarce resource that can become a source of conflict. The limited relief water available in low-income, high-density areas contributes to social unrest and has a knock-on effect in relation to equity.

Other factors contributing to water insecurity are loadshedding and high levels of theft and vandalism, especially targeted theft of copper pipes and fittings – a problem which is evident across South Africa. The municipality also reports  an alarming rise in non-payment of tariffs, for example by landlords or those who inherit municipal debt, which the team found was prevalent in many low-income RDP areas. Migration to a Metro with low employment prospects means the municipality is faced with a rise in indigent households who cannot afford to pay for water.

What is clear from interventions that were put into place (e.g., raised tariffs and water cuts) to deal with the water crisis is that there was an extensive focus on the technical dimensions of responding to the drought, with less attention given to how these measures could potentially impact different societal constituencies, and their equity implications. One of the biggest findings so far has been to realise the multiple ways in which water can be a tool for both social unrest and social cohesion. In some of the more affluent areas, water provision has become one of the ways in which people can give back to their community, for example, by sharing water from rainwater tanks or private boreholes. Looking at the socio-cultural dimensions of water security allows us to see just how powerful a tool water can be for social cohesion and wellbeing as well as ecosystem health and sustainability.

Last Modified: Tue, 06 Aug 2024 14:57:22 SAST