The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has launched a formal investigative inquiry into the worsening water crisis in Gauteng (South Africa's most populous province, home to Johannesburg and Pretoria), warning that persistent shortages, ageing infrastructure and governance failures may constitute a systemic human rights violation rather than isolated service failures. The crisis has disproportionately affected poor communities, informal settlements, schools and healthcare facilities, while also fuelling so-called "water tanker mafias" — informal and exploitative private water distribution networks that have emerged to fill the gap left by dysfunctional municipal systems. Hearings are scheduled for May 2026, with written submissions from affected communities and other stakeholders due by 30 April 2026.