Litnet

"Politics and international relations cannot function as a marketplace alone."

"Yet, large metros such as Johannesburg, eThekwini and Gqeberha continue to face severe wastewater management challenges, including failing treatment works and pollution. In Emfuleni in Gauteng, longstanding dysfunction in wastewater systems has caused chronic pollution of the Vaal River system and in urban areas, despite several national interventions. These are not isolated cases, but are symptomatic of the wider municipal system. Some municipalities – often supported by stronger technical capacity or regional water boards – perform relatively better, but these remain too few."

"Maar dit pla dat die verskynsel toenemend in regse internasionale kringe gebruik word as bewys van sogenaamde wit volksmoord. Tussen werklike gevaar, vrees en politieke oordrywing lê ’n meer komplekse werklikheid, wat ek in hierdie reaksie aanraak; hopelik kan ek hiermee bydra tot ’n meer deurdagte benadering tot hierdie vraagstuk."

"South Africa’s 2026 municipal elections are likely to take place in the last quarter of the year. Much will still be written, said and – annoyingly – also warped, over the course of the year. Let us then reflect briefly on what South Africans might expect and want to consider as the elections loom – especially on service delivery, fiscal sustainability, broader political change, and governance and accountability, or the lack thereof."

"En daar vee Suid-Afrika se krieket-Proteas nou die dag vir Indië skoon uit die pad met ’n oortuigende oorwinning in die veels te kort reeks van twee vyfdag-toetse, nogal in Indië – een van die moeilikste plekke vir besoekende spanne om in te wen."

"South Africa can learn from other countries and cities. Megacities as diverse as Bangkok, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Dhaka, Jakarta, Calcutta, Lagos, London, Manila, Mexico City, New Delhi and Shanghai already use groundwater to varying degrees for water supply."

"These issues are not unique to Johannesburg, Cape Town and the other big cities (metros), but are very relevant in all municipalities."

"Die opgewonde reaksie van Suid-Afrikaanse rugby-ondersteuners ken geen perke nie. Oor die jare sedert die einde van apartheid het toetswedstryde tussen Suid-Afrika en Nieu-Seeland van die mees afgewagte wedstryde in die sport geword."

"The Chaos Precinct: Johannesburg as a port city reaffirms Tanya Zack’s talent for telling a compelling real-life story."

"In die meeste Suid-Afrikaanse stede en dorpe maak wesenlike getalle inwoners staat op emmers en putlatrines vir basiese higiëne."

"Significant reform and skills improvement are needed if more deterioration in service delivery and public trust is to be avoided, but the political obstacles to municipal reform are significant. Many municipalities experience regular turnovers of mayors and senior officials, often due to party infighting, especially within coalitions."

"By withdrawing the United States (US) from the global Paris Agreement, Trump is defying multilateral climate resilience cooperation, at a time when global average temperatures already exceed a critical 1,5°C warming threshold, and severe weather events are becoming more regular."

"Over the past few weeks water services in Cradock in the Eastern Cape highlighted the plight of small towns when these services fail. It is reminiscent of a water sector adage that 'the problem is not the pipes; it’s the institutions that manage the pipes'."

"This presents you with an important entry point at the outset of your new assignment, demystifying the notion that only new infrastructure can solve the problems of limited access."

"But suddenly the agenda has become denser and more complex. International issues, bad old South African racial politics, and opportunistic political engineering have all made an appearance. So let’s pinpoint some of the key issues."