annexure-ww1-a0adf528d3d0551f.pdf

This document consists of a series of letters and annexures sent between April and August 2020 by the South African Water Caucus (SAWC), represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights, to various South African government officials. The correspondence urgently requests the provision of water tanks, reliable water supply, and sanitation packs for numerous communities across South Africa that lack basic water access, highlighting the increased health risks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The South African Water Caucus (SAWC), a network of over twenty community-based and non-governmental organisations, identified over 200 communities across South Africa lacking access to water.
• The SAWC argues that the lack of clean water and reliable supply increases the risk of contracting COVID-19, as handwashing with soap and water is a key preventative measure.
• The Department of Water and Sanitation's (DWS) water query hotline is reported to be ineffective for rural communities due to a lack of awareness and limited access to telephones or network services. Additionally, some callers are referred back to municipal or provincial departments that are unable or unwilling to help.
• In the Eastern Cape, ten community leaders from Nombanjane, Nxarxo, and Ngcizele villages were arrested on 14 April 2020 for contravening COVID-19 Emergency Regulations; while charges were eventually withdrawn, the communities still lack water access.
• Specific infrastructure failures are reported in various regions, including ageing infrastructure in the Silvertown Informal Settlement, low water pressure in Greenpark Township, and a reliance on polluted rivers in Sekutlong Village (polluted by mining since 2017).
• In the Western Cape's Shukushukuma, Esibheshe, and Bhekela communities, a lack of toilets has led residents to relieve themselves in wetlands and the Kuilsriver catchment, creating a foul smell and health hazard.
• The SAWC requested that the National Disaster Water Command Centre provide weekly public updates on its activities and create an accessible mechanism, such as a WhatsApp group, for lodging emergency requests.
• In the Gauteng province, the Tjovitjo Informal Settlement camp reports a severe lack of sanitation, with approximately five families sharing one portable toilet that has not been sanitized since the start of the lockdown.
• In KwaZulu-Natal, the community of Somkhele receives only 2,500 litres of water via tanker on Wednesdays for a population estimated at 5,791 as of the 2011 census.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (n.d.). annexure-ww1-a0adf528d3d0551f.pdf. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Annexure-WW1.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. annexure-ww1-a0adf528d3d0551f.pdf. n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Annexure-WW1.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=annexure-ww1-a0adf528d3d0551f.pdf |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Annexure-WW1.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrightsndannexureww1a0adf528d3d0551fpdf, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{annexure-ww1-a0adf528d3d0551f.pdf}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Annexure-WW1.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }