Pretoria, South Africa – Water tanker mafias are exacerbating South Africa’s water crisis, exploiting vulnerable townships like Hammanskraal, Mamelodi, Bronkhorstspruit, Ekangala, and Cullinan by sabotaging infrastructure and profiting from scarce water supplies.
In Hammanskraal, a 20-year water crisis, marked by contaminated water from the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Works and a 2023 cholera outbreak that killed 40, has left residents dependent on tankers.
Despite the 2024 completion of the Magalies Klipdrift plant, many areas still lack clean tap water, enabling mafias to thrive. Similarly, Bronkhorstspruit and Ekangala face ongoing water shortages, with reports of deliberate pipe damage to sustain tanker demand.
Cullinan, another affected township, struggles with erratic supply, leaving communities vulnerable to mafia exploitation. Mamelodi, while less documented for tanker issues, faces infrastructure challenges that could attract similar criminal activity.
These mafias drain municipal budgets, with KwaZulu-Natal’s UMgungundlovu district spending R80 million annually on tanker hires. A Johannesburg tender scandal, under investigation as of February 2025, highlights alleged collusion with officials.
The Department of Water and Sanitation warns of widespread sabotage, but policing remains difficult due to corruption and slow repairs, like Tshwane’s R45 million sanitation investment in Mamelodi.
The water crisis fuels socioeconomic strain, contributing to crime in townships. Hammanskraal’s high robbery rates reflect these tensions. A social media like @StHonorable’s May 20, 2025, claim of pipe sabotage, underscore public frustration, though unverified.
As South Africa grapples with 6,953 murders from October to December 2024, breaking the mafia’s hold is critical to restoring water access and safety.
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