Rustenburg Local Municipality, one of South Africa's wealthiest municipalities by GDP thanks to the surrounding platinum mining industry, has suffered a catastrophic collapse of its water and sewer infrastructure. The municipality loses an estimated R300 million annually to illegal water connections — a problem it has failed to address despite years of AG findings. An additional R200 million is lost through sewer system failures, including burst pipes, collapsed lines, and raw sewage flowing into streets and waterways.
The paradox is stark: Rustenburg generates enormous revenue from mining royalties and rates, yet cannot deliver the most basic services. The 2022/23 AG audit flagged significant irregular expenditure and material misstatements. Water infrastructure maintenance budgets go unspent while emergency repairs consume resources at inflated costs.
Residents across Rustenburg — from informal settlements to established suburbs — experience erratic water supply. Some areas go days without water. The municipality's response has been to deploy water tankers, which themselves have become a source of corruption, with allegations of inflated contracts and politically connected suppliers.