Municipal Infrastructure Grant Spending Trends and Backlog Reduction in Water and Sanitation Services – Spending Review Report

The Constitution (Act No. 108 of 1996) instructs government to implement the Bill of Rights to, inter alia, enhance ‘human dignity, the achievement of equality and the advancement of human rights and freedoms’. A number of ‘socio-economic’ or ‘second generation rights’, including the right to ‘have access to sufficient water’ and ‘an environment that is not harmful to their health or wellbeing’ are prescribed by the constitution. In recent years, the fiscal space has become increasingly tight, with implications for, amongst other aspects, the budget available for the water services sector, which impact on the constitutional rights highlighted above.