Monitoring and Evaluating the Progressive Realisation of the Right to Water and Sanitation in South Africa (People’s Guide)

Safe, clean drinking water as well as safe and hygienic sanitation is essential to human life. This working paper provides an evaluation of the right to water and sanitation in South Africa. By employing SPII’s 3 step Socio-Economic Rights Monitoring Tool methodology of applying policy analysis, budget or resource allocation and the development of indicators to monitor the level of enjoyment of this right as guaranteed in Section 27 of the Constitution The paper explores the content of the right and the obligations it places on the state. This is followed by an analysis of existing policy frameworks and legislation that regulates the right to water and sanitation in South Africa. The paper then analyses the resources allocated towards the attainment of the right within a human rights budget framework. Lastly, the paper evaluates impact indicators for the right to water and sanitation populated with data going back to 2002 (where possible).