DWS entities Annual Performance Plan 2026/27; with Minister and Deputy Minister

Video Annual Performance Plan (APP) of Government Departments & Entities 2026/27 The Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation convened to receive briefings from Catchment Management Agencies (CMAs) on their 2026/27 annual performance plans (APPs) and associated budgets, in the presence of the Minister and Department officials. The Chairperson outlined the structure of the meeting, emphasising a focus on substantive APP and budget matters, with presentations followed by Member engagement. The Minister confirmed that all CMAs had submitted their APPs and shareholder compacts, and reiterated their mandate to manage water resources, ensure compliance, and implement water use and waste discharge systems. She further noted that all six CMAs had now been established, with some already achieving clean audit outcomes. The Committee received presentations from several CMAs, including the Breede-Olifants, Pongola-Umzimkulu, Mzimvubu-Tsitsikamma, Vaal-Orange, and Limpopo–Olifants CMAs. These presentations outlined the CMAs’ strategic objectives, operational programmes, performance targets, and budget allocations for the 2026/27 financial year and for the medium term. Across the entities, key focus areas included water resource protection, compliance monitoring and enforcement, water use licensing, stakeholder engagement, institutional development, and improving financial sustainability through revenue collection and water resource charges. During the engagement session, Members raised questions on governance, financial sustainability, operational performance, and service delivery. Issues raised included the cost and composition of CMA boards, staffing levels, vacancy rates, and the overall cost of maintaining the entities. Members also questioned whether CMAs could be integrated into water boards, to which the Minister responded that their mandates were distinct and governed by legislation, making such integration not feasible without legislative amendments. Concerns were raised regarding the effectiveness of CMAs in fulfilling their core mandates. Members queried delays in processing water use licences, the adequacy of compliance monitoring and enforcement, and the ability to respond to pollution incidents within required timeframes. Some CMAs indicated that capacity constraints, including staffing and operational limitations, affected performance targets, but noted that these would improve over time as institutional capacity was strengthened. Financial sustainability emerged as a key theme, with Members highlighting reliance on departmental funding, challenges in revenue collection, and high expenditure on personnel costs. In response, the CMAs and the Department indicated that entities were expected to become self-sustaining over time through water use charges, although many were still in early establishment phases. Measures to improve revenue collection, including debt recovery strategies and engagement with municipalities, were outlined. The Committee also engaged on broader sector challenges, including water pollution, particularly from municipal wastewater systems, and the need for improved coordination across spheres of government. The Department clarified that CMAs played a regulatory role, including monitoring and enforcement, while municipalities remained responsible for wastewater infrastructure. Interventions such as compliance actions, stakeholder collaboration, and technological tools for monitoring were highlighted. Additional matters discussed included water allocation and transformation, support for historically disadvantaged individuals, and the transformation of irrigation boards into water user associations. Members emphasised the importance of measurable outcomes and long-term impact, beyond compliance with targets. Concerns were also raised about data management, the use of technology, and the need for improved reporting on performance outcomes. In response to Members’ questions, the Minister and the Department addressed issues related to staffing transfers, office accommodation, and institutional arrangements, noting that processes were underway to stabilise CMAs and improve efficiency, including potential shared office space. The Director-General reiterated that CMAs were designed to manage water resources at a catchment level, and were expected to become financially sustainable, although broader sector challenges such as non-revenue water and weak municipal revenue collection continued to impact performance. The meeting concluded with undertakings from the CMAs to provide additional information in writing where required, including operational performance data and governance-related details. The Committee indicated the need for continued oversight, particularly in relation to financial sustainability, operational effectiveness, and improvements in water resource management outcomes.