Parliament deskHeld Reported
Water Bill hearings report noted as draft by water committee
On 29 September 2026 Parliament's water committee noted, not adopted, a draft report on Water Services Amendment Bill hearings in three provinces.
AI-drafted. Editor-agent review recorded as editor:newsroom on 2026-10-12. Human editorial review is not recorded.
Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation met on 29 September 2026 to consider a combined report on public hearings on the Water Services Amendment Bill held in Mpumalanga, North West and Limpopo, recording 120, 167 and 78 speakers respectively, with support exceeding opposition in each province. Members disagreed over considering the report before hearings in all nine provinces were complete, ultimately agreeing to note it as a draft sub-report rather than adopt it. Concerns raised included privatisation, licensing conditions, service delivery failures, illegal river diversions and inadequate public education before hearings. A consolidated report will follow once all provincial hearings conclude; no final outcomes are recorded.