Are South Africa's water service delivery policies and strategies equitable, accessible, affordable, efficient, effective and sustainable for Msunduzi low-income households? The primary objective of this study was to elicit the community experience of South Africa's water service delivery policies and strategies and link these experiences to a broader analysis of policy and strategy to locate water service delivery contraventions, inconsistencies and inadequacies. The secondary objective was to initiate community-based platforms for engagement with water-related issues and build capacity within local community task teams to initiate lobbying and advocacy strategies to support community-suggested and research-outcome reforms thereby returning popular control to the locus of communities. The study was conducted in KwaZulu-Natal, within the Msunduzi municipal jurisdiction, under the uMgungundlovu district municipality (DC22) in the period from October 2002-April 2003. Households in five low-income urban areas were included in the study: Imbali (units 1 and 2), Sobantu, Haniville and Thembalihle. The study employed a community action research design using non-probability sampling. Surveys, conducted by community researchers, were complemented by broad community engagement approaches, informal interviews with external stakeholders and the initiation of platforms for information sharing and fundamental debate. The study revealed two significant findings. The first finding found that South Africa's water service delivery policies, strategies and implementation mechanisms were inconsistent with the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry's sector goals of equity, affordability, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability. They contained serious scientific and social inadequacies, inequitably promoted economic considerations above social and environmental considerations; lacked regulation and monitoring systems to identify and address implementation contraventions; were not receptive to the socioeconomic situations of low-income households and should be fundamentally re-worked. Policies and strategies purported to ensure that the basic water service requirements of low-income households were met, essentially compounded socio-economic constraints and compromised human rights, justice and equity. The second finding was related to popular involvement and engagement. Community consultative processes for input into local and national policies and strategies were inadequate and often pseudoparticipatory; political platforms (local and national) for communities to engage and influence decision-makers were inadequate or lacking; and the community control, ownership and acceptance of the Msunduzi water service delivery institution and its mechanisms were low. Recommendations for the reform of policy, strategy and implementation of such reforms were advocated through the vehicle of reviews, evaluations and audits, to inform the necessary amendments, adjustments and intensification of local and national regulation and monitoring mechanisms. Lobbying and advocacy strategies, to support the implementation of reforms, were promoted through community-based approaches of popular engagement with water-related issues, information dissemination; community mobilisation and popular control of public processes. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

The provision of a basic water supply and sanitation service to the 12 million South Africans without an adequate water supply and the 21 million without basic sanitation is a mammoth task that is currently being undertaken by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. Billions of rands have been spent on, and committed to, water and sanitation projects that involve national, provincial and local spheres of government, as well as parastatals, non-government organisations and private developers. It is acknowledged that important successes have been achieved in the water and sanitation sector. However, despite the provisions provided in national and local legislation, internationally lauded policy directives, the numerous studies undertaken and recommendations made by institutions such as the Water Research Commission, problems have continued to emerge in the sustainable delivery of water and sanitation projects, particularly in the peri-urban and rural areas. It is clear that the installation of physical structures such as pipes, taps and ventilated improved pit latrines in these areas have created a sense of 'delivery' however, little thought seems to have gone into how these projects are to be sustained. International experience has shown that the concept of 'community ownership' is very important in providing sustainable water and sanitation services. The most important principles in achieving sustainability are community participation and community decision-making throughout both the development of the project as well as the further operation and maintenance of the system. International experience has also shown that financial contributions towards the scheme from the community (in cash, labour or materials), also assists in obtaining community ownership. Over the past decade emphasis in South Africa has shifted towards community participation and the empowerment of previously disadvantaged communities where communities play an active role in determining the level of service provided and the manner in which these services are delivered. However, current government policy advocates that water must be treated as an economic resource to achieve sustainability and this does not always lie comfortably with the policy of delivering free basic water. As a result of these two often-juxtaposed concepts, the delivery of sustainable water and sanitation services, a function performed by local government, is thus made more difficult. This study assesses the importance of delivering a potable water supply and adequate sanitation service to enhance the quality of lives of people. It also considers the key issues that contribute towards sustainable water and sanitation service delivery, with particular reference to the concept of 'community ownership'. The complex nature of the policy, legislative and institutional framework for water supply and sanitation is considered along with an analysis of the Msunduzi Municipality's water supply and sanitation policy and objectives. The study then focuses on the delivery of water and sanitation services to one such project, Edendale Unit RR (commonly known as Newtown), as an in-situ upgrade case study. A Provincial Housing Board funded project has, over the last five years, provided housing units, roads, stormwater drains, and water and sanitation infrastructure to this community. This initial research is undertaken with the intention of providing an evaluation of the installation of the water supply and sanitation service to the in-situ upgrade of Newtown. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

The post apartheid government has been engaged in the process of delivering formal housing, water, and sanitation services to the poor. Because of huge backlogs in the provision of these basic services, the government has focused on meeting quantitative targets. The government has made significant strides to reduce the level of backlogs in basic service the delivery. However, there were challenges that confronted government in its endeavours to expedite delivery of services. The main challenge relates to the fragmentation in the funding mechanism for housing and the physical infrastructure, particularly water and sanitation infrastructure. Concerns have been raised about the ability of the local sphere of government to provide suitable land and quality physical infrastructure which were a prerequisite for sustainable settlements. The aim of the study was to evaluate the implementation of water and sanitation policies in a low-cost housing (LCH) settlement of Ambleton and Ambleton Extension in Pietermaritzburg. In line with the set objectives, the study attempted to find out if the implementation of water and sanitation policies in the area was consistent with the national policies and to establish whether or not people that lived in the area felt the quality of services has improved their lives. A qualitative methodology was used to collect data. In this regard three methods of collecting data were used, namely, semi-structured questionnaire, interviews and observation. The findings of the study showed that there were challenges with water and sanitation services. Some of the challenges relate to the inconsistent and fragmented nature of the funding mechanism that is inherent in basic service delivery policies. Residents of Ambleton and Ambleton Extension were generally unhappy about the quality of water and sanitation services. The study recommends that the government should revise its funding mechanism to strengthen the ability of municipalities to provide quality services. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2010.

Disparities between housing, water and sanitation policy initiatives continuously undermine the efforts of informal settlements upgrading programme of transforming living conditions of people living in informal settlements. The objective of this research project was to explore the disparities between the above mentioned policy initiatives in informal settlements upgrading with the view to develop an understanding of various elements leading to these disparities. To achieve this research two case study areas were selected from which data was collected. The case studies were selected purposively. Household surveys were conducted from each of the two case studies and interviews were conducted with housing, water and sanitation officials. Findings of the research indicate that there are indeed disparities between housing, water and sanitation. It indicated that the disparities manifested themselves at various levels of policy. The nature of these disparities also varied according to the level at which they manifested. The research concludes that disparities in housing, water and sanitation manifest themselves in informal settlement upgrading. Various levels of policy indicate the manifestation of these disparities. Informal settlement upgrading efforts are undermined by the lack of coordination and integration in the implementation of policy. The research therefore recommends adjustments from all levels of policy from formulation to implementation. Housing, water and sanitation policy formulation process should be conducted in an integrated and coordinated manner. All parties involved in policy development and implementation should adopt high level of communication and consultation on all policy related issues. Policy objectives should be consolidated. / Thesis (M.Housing)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

The aim of this study is to focus on how the Vulindlela Community benefited from water supplied to them through DWAF and Umgeni Water funding with emphasis on the sustainability of the project. The study also aims to find out from Vulindlela Community whether the scheme met its objectives. The sample consists of 2 888 respondents from Vulindlela area. The measuring instruments used are the interviews and questionnaire constructed by the researcher. The results of this study indicate that all the objectives of the scheme were met and that the community especially women, unemployed men and local contractors all benefited from the project. The issue of sustainability of the scheme is the real problem. The community (Branch Officers, local plumbers, meter readers and committees) has been trained in handling water related issues but the community has not accepted the ownership of the scheme. If the ownership of the scheme is lacking, there will be problems throughout. The non-payment of water used by the community will continue to be a problem if the community itself does not take the ownership of running and maintaining it. The community needs to be empowered and be trained on the operation and maintenance (OM cost recoveries and the tariff structure. The results also indicate that the community understands the free water policy and that most of them are using less than 6 kilolitres per month. The willingness to pay from the community is low, to such an extent that most of the households are due for disconnections or restriction. This is supported by the fact that most of them are earning less than RI 000 - 00 per month and in some households the bread winner is an elderly person who is dependent on government grants. The 6 kilolitre free water is not sustainable under the conditions, which this community find themselves in. There are challenges facing the scheme and these are discussed under Chapter 5. Since some limitations of this study were found, the results must be interpreted with caution and one should be cautious in applying them. / Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.