Ramaphosa at AU: Water Crisis & Sustainable Solutions 🌍💧

President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in Ethiopia to participate in the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly of Heads of States and Government, a summit focused on addressing water security and sanitation challenges across the continent.

African Union Summit Focuses on Water and Sanitation

The two-day summit, scheduled for February 14-15, 2026, will center around the theme: “Assuring Sustainable Water Availability and Safe Sanitation Systems to Achieve the Goals of Agenda 2063.” The AU has designated 2026 as the year of water and sanitation.

According to presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya, the summit’s focus aligns with efforts to improve access to sustainable water and reliable sanitation services throughout Africa, addressing interconnected crises like water insecurity, poor sanitation, and climate change.

SA Water Crisis

The summit is particularly relevant for South Africa, which is currently facing a deepening water crisis that threatens economic stability and social order. Communities nationwide are experiencing water shortages and outages lasting up to 30 days, compounded by deteriorating infrastructure and sewage contamination.

President Ramaphosa recently acknowledged the crisis, stating his administration will intervene using provisions within the Water Act to address municipal failures in providing water access. He spoke at the annual Presidential Golf Challenge following his State of the Nation Address.

Summit Objectives

Magwenya stated the summit aims to connect member states, investors, and development financiers to discuss investment project pipelines showcased at last year’s Africa Water Summit in Cape Town. President Ramaphosa will also address the African Union Ad-Hoc High-Level Committee on South Sudan, known as the C5, which South Africa chairs.

The C5 oversees the implementation of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan. Ramaphosa is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with other African heads of state to discuss matters of mutual interest and continental issues.