Institutional reform of water services providers in South Africa

The Strategic Framework for Water Services, approved by Cabinet in September 2003, sets out a policy framework for the institutional reform of water services provision. This includes a motivation for reform, as well as the objectives, principles and approach for the reform process. The Institutional Reform involves various national investigations and studies that need to be undertaken to improve decision making concerning regional institutional issues. Government has established the National Institutional Reform Task Team as a high-level policy-formulating advisory body to oversee and guide the institutional reform process. Institutional Reform Investigations are under way in the Central Eastern Cape, Western Highveld Region, with an additional six regional investigations planned for the coming year. This paper is aimed at providing an overview of the National Institutional Reform Strategy for Water Services Provision and the institutional reform initiatives that are currently being undertaken by DWAF.