/ 20 December 2024

Pemmy Majodina

South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile Meets With Ministers In Different Portfolios
Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina. (Misha Jordaan/Gallo Images via Getty Images)

SCORE: D-


Known for her flamboyant hats and headdress, Pemmy Majodina has big shoes to fill. Her predecessor, Senzo Mchunu, drew widespread praise for his tireless efforts to turn around the department, which had been hollowed out by state capture. She is still in the early stages of her tenure and under close scrutiny and has pledged to continue the reforms and improvements that Mchunu rolled out. Majodina’s toughest test may lie in addressing the severe municipal water supply failures in Gauteng and eThekwini, a crisis that has plagued smaller towns nationwide for years. Amendments to the Water Services Act are expected to strengthen her department’s regulatory capacity over municipal water services. Although Majodina has emphasised that responsibility for water service provision ultimately lies with municipalities, solving this crisis cannot be left to the same dysfunctional local governments that have caused it.