Stop New Dam Rules

We, the undersigned, residents, business owners, and community stakeholders, call on the Minister of Water and Sanitation, the Honourable Pemmy Majodina, to withdrawal the Draft Regulations for the Management and Control of Government Waterworks and surrounding state-owned land, together with all associated Resource Management Plans (RMPs).

These regulations represent a significant shift away from the principles of the National Water Act, which recognises water as a public resource held in trust for all citizens.

If implemented, these regulations will:

• Make access to dams conditional on approvals, permits, and administrative processes
• Require lease agreements for many activities, increasing costs and uncertainty
• Place heavy administrative and financial burdens on communities, clubs, and small businesses
• Harm tourism, threaten jobs, and damage local economies
• Restrict access from private land and effectively undermine property rights
• Add layers of regulation that government may not have the capacity to implement effectively

This overregulation risks harming communities instead of supporting them.

We call on the Minister to withdraw the draft regulations and Resource Management Plans in their current form, uphold the National Water Act and protect lawful recreational use, ensure reasonable and practical public access to dams, respect and protect property rights, conduct a transparent economic impact assessment and ensure meaningful public participation before any new regulations are introduced

South Africa’s dams support jobs, tourism, small businesses, and community life. These proposals risk turning public resources into restricted, controlled, and costly spaces, impacting thousands of livelihoods, as well as homes and recreation

South Africa’s water resources must remain accessible, fair, and beneficial to all and not be subjected to unnecessary restrictions and excessive control.

We urge the Minister to withdraw these regulations and work with communities to develop balanced, practical solutions.