It is a big weekend for South Africa as we commemorate Human Rights Day on Saturday, 21 March, as well as World Water Day on Sunday, 22 March. These are two linked and important special days in the South African calendar.Human Rights Day which is observed annually on 21 March, is commemorated this year under the theme “Bill of Rights at 30:
Making Human Dignity Real”, which celebrates 30 years since the adoption of South Africa’s Constitution, emphasizing the role of the Bill of Rights in protecting human dignity and equality.On the other hand, World Water Day is observed annually on 22 March and focuses its attention on the importance of freshwater and advocates for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
World Water Day is spearheaded by the United Nations (UN), using the day as a basis for longer-term action involving governments across the globe. The UN aims to ensure that everyone in the world has access to safe water by 2030, while not impacting negatively on the environment. Each year, the United Nations Water sets a theme for World Water Day which corresponds to a current or future challenge. The theme for 2026 is “Water and gender”, with the slogan “Where Water Flows, Equality Grows.”
As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of our Constitution, we need to do a serious introspection of how far we have gone as a country in ensuring that everyone enjoys their human rights as entrenched in our world acclaimed Constitution, especially the right to access to water. Section 27(1)(b) of the Constitution states that everyone has the right to have access to sufficient water.
Water is life and a basic human need, making access to water a basic human right, and this calls for everyone to play a role in ensuring that we all have access to the precious source of life.Government has tried and continues to bring access to water to all citizens of the country and bring equality, but there are still some challenges. The recent water supply challenges in Gauteng are a wake-up call to municipalities and all water service providers to invest in infrastructure maintenance.
It is also a call to invest in new infrastructure to meet the growing demand as populations continue to grow.Communities also have a key role to play in ensuring that everyone enjoys his/her right to access sufficient water. Residents need to protect water supply infrastructure from vandalism and stop illegal connections as these acts infringe on other people’s right of access to water. As South Africa is a water scarce country, we all have the responsibility to use water wisely and sparingly so as to ensure water security for our and future generations.
As much as it is the responsibility of municipalities to supply communities with water, it is the responsibility of residents to pay for water services.Access to water ensures one of the pillars of our Constitution, which is equality. As the theme of World Water Day states “Water and gender”, with the slogan “Where Water Flows, Equality Grows”, it is important to ensure access to water for all to ensure gender equality and relieve women of the responsibilities of searching for water for their families, thereby putting them on equal footing with their male counterparts.
As we celebrate Human Rights Day and World Water Day, let us remember that rights go with responsibilities, and it is our responsibility to protect our water resources and infrastructure to ensure that everyone enjoys the right to sufficient water. Let us be responsible citizens and stop the water infrastructure vandalism, unsustainable use and high levels of wastage and water losses, as well as increasing pollution of water resources which renders water unfit for use.
The enjoyment of the basic right of access to sufficient water for all is in our hands and responsible behaviour.As we celebrate Human Rights Day and World Water Day this weekend, let us make human dignity real by ensuring access to water for all.