As President Cyril Ramaphosa warned in his State of the Nation Address that water shortages are becoming a national crisis, Johannesburg residents spent the week protesting prolonged outages and demanding urgent intervention.
Across several suburbs, families have been left without reliable supply, highlighting the growing gap between government commitments and the daily reality of dry taps.
The Saturday Star visited affected areas and spoke with residents, many of whom say they have not received water tankers and remain without clear communication from Rand Water or Johannesburg Water.
Community activist Mohammed Peer, who recently led a demonstration at Crown Gardens, described how the shortages are affecting families, particularly the elderly.
“There were lots of elderly people, and you can see they’re the ones most affected by the water outages. Not to say that everyone else isn’t affected, but the fact is, especially our elderly folks—they don’t have vehicles, and they’re living in old-age homes and retirement homes. How do they get water? They’ve been impacted now for almost a week. It’s sad to see that this is the situation we’re facing in our country today, that we just don’t have a basic necessity like water. I mean, we can do without electricity, but water… it’s very hard. And the weather has not helped at all.”
Peer also highlighted the financial strain the shortages are causing. “Many people are having to buy bottled water or rely on alternative sources if tankers are not available. This adds extra strain to already tight budgets.”
Residents say communication from authorities remains poor.
“The latest at the Crown Gardens water tower is that they were going to start pumping water,” said resident Aslam Mahomed from Ridgeway. “This was as of last night. Since then, we haven’t received any notifications about where Joburg Water is actually starting the pumping process or what is happening. We know nothing.”
Mahomed added, “We keep in contact with our councillor, and he says he has to speak to Joburg Water. But Joburg Water is not forthcoming with much information. Same with Rand Water—they are also hiding information from the communities. They don’t want to say exactly what the problem is. Then you hear stories about strikes or that residents are overusing water. And there was also a report of a blast at the Icon pump station. So we really don’t know what the problem is. They haven’t told us whether they’ve started pumping or when the water will be restored.”
He also highlighted a recurring issue: “When other reservoirs go empty, they always divert our water.”
Residents report that supply has been inconsistent. “It’s been five days now. The supply has been on and off in our area. Before that, it went off for a whole day, and then, by some miracle, it actually came back on,” he said.
Ward councillor Stuart Marais confirmed the difficulty of accessing water tankers. “Day 1 we couldn’t get it. On Day 2 they were on strike. On Day 3 we couldn’t get a tanker because the whole of Johannesburg wants tankers. There are only 13 tankers available, so it is very difficult to get one. The elderly have been complaining since yesterday already about water shortages.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged South Africa’s water crisis in his State of the Nation Address, yesterday, pointing to poor planning and years of inadequate maintenance by municipalities as the main causes of shortages.
Key measures announced:
Municipal managers are being held accountable for service delivery failures and must engage directly with communities.
Damaged pipes and reservoirs are being repaired, with supplies beginning to stabilise.
New infrastructure projects are underway, including the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and the Ntabelanga Dam among others.
The government has committed R156 billion over the next three years for water and sanitation infrastructure.
Ramaphosa said there is no quick fix, as the crisis stems from systemic failures and years of neglect.
Earlier this week, Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero, alongside Minister of Water and Sanitation Pemmy Majodina, Minister of COGTA Velenkosini Hlabisa, Deputy Ministers David Mahlobo and Dr Dickson Masemola, and Gauteng MEC Jacob Mamabolo, hosted a media briefing at New Brixton Reservoir to address the city’s water supply challenges.
The briefing outlined current interventions, detailed ongoing measures to stabilise water supply, and highlighted efforts to improve infrastructure. Morero revealed that the city’s rapid growth over the past decade has strained its water systems and emphasised that new structures are being built while older reservoirs are being repaired.
The crisis has also sparked controversy for comments by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, who drew criticism this week for remarks some saw as out of touch. During a media briefing on the water shortages, Lesufi said he too has experienced water cuts and in some cases “had to go to a certain hotel so that I could bathe” when his home had no water, an attempt to show he shared in the inconvenience.
His comments, meant to reassure residents that leaders faced the same challenges, were met with backlash for being insensitive amid widespread hardship, prompting Lesufi to issue an apology.
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za
Saturday Star