Water mafia in South Africa damages pipes and pumps to disrupt supply and make money from tankers

• South African municipalities collectively spent an estimated R2.32 billion on water tanker contracts in the 2024 financial year.
• The water tanker mafia emerged after the collapse of water treatment plants, the deterioration of municipal water networks, and slow fault repair times.
• The Department of Water and Sanitation is participating in the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) to combat corruption and theft in the water sector.