Investigating the challenges of the Chris Hani District Municipality’s water sector value chain.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the water sector value chain as it relates to a specific location, that is, the Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM). The local municipalities under the CHDM handed over their water services provision function to CHDM, whose role in the water value chain includes water abstraction, pumping, purification, and distribution. The study employed qualitative research techniques for the purpose of delving deeper into the issues and for formulating a water provision model that is informed by a variety of viewpoints from stakeholders who are well-informed about the sector. Qualitative methods included analysis of relevant literature and semi-structured interviews with sampled participants in the value chain. The qualitative nature of the study enabled deeper engagement with each of the 10 sampled participants in this study. They included three CHDM officials and seven consumers from the local municipalities under CHDM. The results show that there is continuation of the non-payment culture by some water consumers due to the high cost of living, poor affordability due to high unemployment rate, and municipal billing challenges. Most of the respondents were of the view that consumers should pay for the water; affording consumers should pay and the indigent should be subsidised by the government. The positive contribution by some consumers towards service delivery is commendable as they claim to pay their municipal bills, report water leakages or pipe bursts, and use water wisely. Some respondents suggested that bulk water supply should be upgraded, dilapidated infrastructure should be replaced, revenue collection should be improved and there should be ringfenced revenue for the provision of water services.